


The Road Not Trekked: The Ephemeral Equinox

by SilverShadow1711



Series: The Road Not Trekked [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Gen, It's a darker retelling of Revelation, Older Man/Younger Woman, Read my other two fics for a taste of what you're getting into
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-01-11 00:53:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 381,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18419459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverShadow1711/pseuds/SilverShadow1711
Summary: "You and I both know something's off here, but is that just a dumb, irrational fear?" It never occured to Nerr that there could come a time when the way forward was so uncertain, when she would falter on the battlefield. War is easy to fight. Destiny, the powers that be, the very gods you worship? Not nearly as simple...(A much darker rewrite of Revelation. More like Fire Emblem: Darkest Dungeon)





	1. Begin Again, Begin Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- And here we go again. You thought it was something new and creative, but it was this, another route of “The Road Not Trekked”! Seriously, I know you're all probably beyond sick of this, but I'd been thinking of Revelation storylines since I started writing “The Rising Dark”. I always wanted to explore the untapped potential of Valla, and now, I'm doing that. I'm sorry. For those who've already been through this song and dance with the last two fics, you good, fam squad. For those who have just stumbled upon this series for the first time, I have to tell you that this is technically the third in a three part series. “The Road Not Trekked”, “The Rising Dark” and “The Falling Light” should be read first, and in that order as there is a lot of characterization that happens in those parts that leaves certain characters a bit different than they are in their respective games. I won't force you to, but if you don't, you're pretty much starting ASOIAF at “Storm of Sword” at this point. But don't worry- it's just going to be another goofy fic filled with silly jokes for kids. And to old readers and new, this begins not at end of chapter seven of “The Road Not Trekked” as the other two routes do, but rather, at the end of chapter five. Yup, even the prologue of Fates isn't safe in this route.

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“ _You'll never know how your face has haunted me; my very soul has to bleed this time. Another hole in the wall of my inner defenses leaving me breathless...”_

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Ch.1- “Begin Again, Begin Again”

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It was as though every fiber of her being was being pulled inward from every direction. Nerr's eyes snapped open, though her body remained still. Still in the sense that she could not willfully move it. She trembled violently, shaking as she gasped for air. Everything was still white, still blinding. Little by little, the light seemed to slowly fade, allowing her to see her surroundings. A dim room with plaster walls, the faint light diffused through paper screens. Glancing to her right revealed _darkness, there was nothing there but a void--_

The princess shook her head, blinking hard. There was a ball, it's colors muted by the shadows. It didn't look like the balls she remembered Elise bringing her years ago. Hoshidan. It was Hoshidan in design, as was everything else in the room. She was in Hoshido. How could she be in Hoshido, she was... she was supposed to be... as she wracked her mind, trying to remember what in the hell led up to this, a flash of red in the corner drew her eyes. Pushing herself upright, despite her weak muscles protesting, Nerr stared at the corner. There was nothing there but a strange, carved creature. Some kind of frightening... _thing_... that should only belong in a child's nightmares. It did nothing. Just sat there, collecting dust. As she looked away, from her periphery she saw teeth lunge at her. Huge yellow teeth, implanted in infected red gums and connected to the creature's skull with slimy fibers of muscle and tendon that unraveled like thread.

She screamed, heart hammering against her chest as she tried to get to her feet, the blankets and pallet she lay on sodden with all manner of vile fluids. All around her, rust and decay crept up the walls, snaking out like blood vessels as everything pulsed and throbbed. She was in Hell. Choked with fear, her vision blurred from the tears stinging them, Nerr threw herself at the walls, looking for a way out. With a loud rip, she fell through one, landing hard in an empty hallway that looked... normal. Yet still Hoshidan. Breathing hard, she stared through the hole in the shoji door. The shadows seemed almost innocuous from out here. Something cold and rotting wrapped around her ankle. Shrieking, she leapt to her feet once more, shaking her leg until she broke free of the deathly grip, barely noticing how hard she hit the opposite wall. This was Hell. She had to escape.

On unsteady legs, the Nohrian princess began walking swiftly down the hall, before breaking into an outright run. People appeared from doorways she didn't notice, but anyone who got in her way was pushed aside. No matter how many corners she turned, everything looked the same. It was never ending. She ran faster. Her mind, blank with panic, didn't even notice the red figure step into her path until something hard collided with her, knocking her flat on her back and pinning her arm under her. The angle was uncomfortable enough, but as the added weight of... whatever it was, landed atop her, the bones in her forearm splintered, like a still new branch. The pain was barely noticeable through her haze of fear, and she continued struggling.

     “Nerrida! Stop this madness at once!”

     “Ryouma? What's going on?” Going still, Nerr tried to figure out what she was actually fighting against. A stern face, framed in spiky red armor, glowered down at her. Behind him stood a pale woman in white robes, her hands clasped together as she gazed down in concern. Red... there was _red, red flowers, red holes cut into people as they bled over her, their insides falling out..._ Screaming louder than she had thought she was capable of, she renewed her struggles, pulling her uninjured arm free of the man's heavy-handed grip and driving the heel of her palm into his nose. There was a snap, and he recoiled, enough for her to push him off and scramble back to her feet, shoving past the woman. Dead. They were dead, she could see the afterimage of mangled flesh on them. She was in Hell. She had to get away. Stopping short, she backed up a few steps, taking note of the circular window. Wooden bars in geometric shapes served more as decoration than protection, proven by the fact that they splintered and broke after only two kicks. She could see the sky. Blue sky, blue... blue...

     “Nerrida!!” A hysterical shriek from behind her drew her attention back. The woman was standing at the end of the hall, her dark eyes wide in terror. “What are you doing?!” The man that had pinned her down quickly appeared beside her, his face dark with anger in stark contrast to the woman's fear, his lips and chin the same crimson as his armor as blood dripped from his nose.

     “Sister, your bluff is not fooling anyone. Step away from the window.” Window... There were mullioned windows in Nohr, that overlooked the abyss the castle was built into, _an infinite chasm, and if she jumped in--_ Barely able to make heads or tails of her disjointed, red-stained thoughts, Nerr moved on instinct alone, stepping onto the curved sill and hurling her body through the window. For a moment, she could hear screaming, but just as quickly, it had been swallowed by the sound of the wind whistling past her ears as she she was buffeted and tumbled by her fall. She would hit the ground and explode into a thousand pieces, like a bowl.

As her heart hammered in fear, it served to dull the pain of her jaw dislocating and protruding beyond her skin. Her back felt as though the skin had been ripped off in sheets before her entire body was snapped back. Pain seared through her spine, almost enough to overshadow the fact that she was falling much slower now. A few feet from the ground, she felt her skin and bones respool back into her body, resulting in her falling in a heap onto the grass. The impact sent agony radiating through her awkwardly hanging arm, but she managed to stand any way. There were armed Hoshidans gathered around her, staring with their jaws slack. Not bothering to wait and see how they would react when they came back to their senses, Nerr took off in an unsteady dash. As she sped towards the trees her mind began catching up with her.

She was in Hoshido, brought here by the backstabbing Rinkah and Suzukaze after she'd shown them mercy. After she'd been sent to the Chasm and fought against Hoshidan soldiers, and... and... Stopping short, the princess attempted to catch her breath, a difficult feat when it felt as though her chest was being constricted. Hans betrayed them on her Father's orders and killed Gunther, she had no idea what had become of Jakob, and her brothers and sisters certainly thought she was dead as well. She was alone and trapped in enemy territory with no escape... No... not _no_ escape. Breathing deeply, Nerr began running once more, the smell of water reaching her before she saw the massive blue lake. She'd run into Azura here the other day, a stolen Nohrian princess she had never heard of, who clearly had shrugged off any and all affection for her homeland.

She knew this lake, not from before, but... she knew it all the same. The water gently lapping at the sandy shore seemed to call to her. Taking a few steps forward, she watched the water cling to her ankles. Maybe if she went around the lake; after all, far, farin the distance, she could see a mountainous crag that wasn't covered in snow, clearly the side of the Infinite Chasm. Behind her, the sound of hurried footsteps and snapping twigs spurred her pulse with a fearful jolt, the likes of which she'd never felt before. If the Hoshidans got her, they'd bring her right back to that nightmarish prison. She would die before she let _that_ happen. As quickly as she could, Nerr waded deeper into the lake, until the water was over her breasts and she could barely barely touch the bottom of the silt bottom.

     “There she is!”

     “She's in the lake!” Only horror lay behind her. She had never swam before, had never seen a body of water larger or deeper than her tub in the Citadel, but the princess inhaled deeply and ducked under the waves, tentatively opening her eyes once she was submerged. The water was clearer than she had anticipated. And... deeper. She could not see the bottom of the lake, even though she had just been touching it with her toes. The sun filtered through the water, illuminating a world of blue and green. In the void below her feet she could see the tops of gnarled, long dead trees. It was like floating atop a withered forest. Strings of bubbles floated around her as she fought to hold her breath.

The surface wasn't that far up, but a part of her was terrified that if she dared pop up, the Hoshidans would be right there waiting for her. Beyond the light coming from above, however, there seemed to be a light source shining from below her as well. Nerr slowly descended deeper into the water, as though she were falling, but with very little of the fear that accompanied a fall. The deeper she went, the more closely clustered were the trees, and the brighter the light shining through their branches. Tender buds seemed to dot some of them, while others were capped in verdant foliage. A cloud of bubbles escaped her mouth as her body lurched forward, as though a hook had grabbed her spine and was attempting to pull it out through the rest of her body. The visions of trees and even large pieces of stonework and other rubble blurred past her as she was drawn into the light, growing brighter and brighter, blinding her completely as she drew closer, until it finally--

 

\--imploded upon itself, leaving only darkness. And a burning pain in her chest. She tried to inhale, but could only cough instead. Gagging and retching on the water that came up and splashed over her already drenched face, Nerr rolled over onto her side, coughing even harder. Her head was spinning. Everything hurt. Panting, she collapsed onto her back once more, slowly opening her eyes and squinting against the bright blue sky. Oh, how she longed for the silky, gentle darkness of Nohr. As her vision grew more accustomed to the vivid azure, the clouds seemed to ripple. She blinked, and reached up to rub her eyes. The ripples were spreading, not unlike the agitated surface of the lake. As she continued scanning this strange sky, the sight of little islands, some completely with worn down houses and other dilapidated ruins, dotted the misty expanse.

Moaning, both from the pain in her body as well as strange pressure building in her head, Nerr climbed to her feet, stumbled, and immediately collapsed once more, half supporting herself on a large something crafted from stone and covered in moss. The gentle lapping of water against the grassy lakeside sounded like an overwhelming crashing in her mind, but even that was as a faint hiss in the background compared to the legion of whispered voices ringing in her ears. A whine that drilled deep into her mind like a demonic mosquito. Above the tinnitus, she could make out one voice loud and clear, a voice that was familiar and yet not at the same time. _Yurari yurureri..._ Pushing herself from the monument, or whatever it was, Nerr shambled a few more feet away from the lake, in some vain hope that the noise would stop when she was not so close to the only actual source of noise she could find.

Every step seemed to take the energy of a hundred, and she had barely gotten four feet away when her legs gave out one final time, causing her to land on her broken arm and sending a surge of agony through her body. Her vision flickered and dulled from the pain. The sound of footsteps and something sodden sloshing reached her ears, but the princess simply shut in her eyes in response, like a frightened child. That was exactly what she felt like now- weak, hurt, scared and alone... tears stung at her closed eyelids, but she refused to open them as the steps drew closer. Never in her life had she so desperately wished Gunther would appear, if for no reason other than to let her feel secure again for only a moment. Despite the fear choking both her breath and her mind, exhaustion got the better of her, consciousness slipping away, taking thought with it.

000

Completely unaware of falling asleep, but knowing she must have as she roused, the Norhian princess groaned quietly and opened her eyes. It took a moment for the blurry shapes hovering above her to come into focus.

     “I think she's waking up...”

     “Ah. N-nee-sama! Are y-you okay...?” A woman with long blue hair the color of the Hoshidan sky was situated beside a much younger girl with short, light pink hair. Nerr had no time to collect her thoughts as another person leaned into her field of vision, a boy, younger than her by the look of it, with white hair and a nasty sneer on his face and _t_ _he entire right side of his head was gone. Not obstructed, just_ _gone. There was no eye, no cheek, just the pinkish gray folds of macerated gristle that_ \--

     “AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Shrieking at the nightmarish vision that flashed before her eyes, the young woman scrambled to get away, unable to get far as two bodies fell onto her.

     “Gods dammit! Sakura! Get your festal!”

     “Oh! R-right!” As Nerr continued struggling against the weight that pinned her down, a bright crimson seeped into the edges of her vision, much like it had done at the Infinite Chasm when she had confronted Hans. That made nothing better, only making the visions around her look that more terrifying. She did not have long to be afraid as an overwhelming exhaustion claimed her.

000

Their quarry now still, Azura and Takumi slowly picked themselves off of the princess they had been pinning, keeping a wary eye on her in case she bolted upright again. When there was no sign of movement, save the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she dozed, the Hoshidan royals relaxed. Well, at least Azura did. The prince glared down at his newfound sister.

     “What the fuck is her problem!?”

     “Takumi, language.” The singer chided gently, glancing over at the youngest person in the room. Not even sparing his little sister a glance, Takumi directed the entirety of his ire at Azura.

     “Shut up, Azura. I wouldn't be surprised if this had something to do with _you_.” Completely unruffled by this accusation (only the latest in a long line of them), the songstress folded her hands in her lap, her golden gaze piercing the boy.

     “What could I have to do with someone I've not even known a day?”

     “How the hell should I know? You Nohrians are all in cahoots, plotting to ruin Hoshido...”

     “B-but...” Sakura had been reluctant to join the fray, keeping her gaze firmly on the tatami floor. “N-Nerrida nee-sama is H-Hoshidan...” Takumi scoffed loudly.

     “The hell she is. Fifteen years in Nohr? There's no Hoshidan left in her. She's the same savage monster as the rest of them, and I--” his tirade was cut short by the screen doors sliding open, revealing an older woman (though not by much, if her appearance was anything to go by), her long dark hair held away from her face in a high pony tail.

     “I heard a commotion.” The empress-dowager said quietly. “Has Nerrida woken?”

     “She _did_ ,” Azura said, her lips twisted slightly. “But she...”

     “She freaked out!” Takumi quickly supplied, getting to his feet and approaching his mother, an imploring look in his eyes. “She went crazy the second she saw me, and Ryouma nii-san said the same thing happened with him and you. You _can't_ trust her, Mother! She's one of _them!_ ” Dark eyes closed, her thin brows creasing. For a moment, the shadows of the dim room made her look much, much older than she normally would.

     “Please leave us, Takumi.” A look of hurt crossed the prince's face.

     “Are you serious? Mother, she--”

     “That is _enough._ ” The empress's voice grew stern as her eyes opened, much harder than they normally would have been. “Your concerns have been noted, Takumi. Now please. Leave us.” The disbelief he expressed quickly shifted to anger, and Takumi stormed from the room in a huff.

     “Nii-sama!” Sakura jumped to her feet as well, fully intending to run after her brother before realizing her mother was standing there and shooting her an imploring look. Mikoto's gaze softened as she nodded.

     “Please go after him, Sakura-chan. And please tell him that I did not mean to snap.” The young princess nodded briskly, bowing past her mother and trotting after Takumi. Azura had half risen before the older woman stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind herself.

     “Should I leave as well, Mikoto-sama?” Shaking her head silently, Mikoto moved to take Takumi's former place, lowering herself down with a bit more effort than someone her age should have needed.

She stared at her sleeping daughter's face, peaceful and calm in her enchanted sleep. So unlike before. All she had seen there for the past two days had been anger, hatred, distrust.... and most recently, fear. Having her child not believe she was who she said she was, having her call her an honorless liar and a whore, even watching her try time and time again to run _back_ to her captors... all of that Mikoto could live with. But the terror, the unbridled _terror_ in her daughter's eyes as she stared at- no, _through_ \- her earlier had been unbearable. Sakura had had to use a festal imbued with a Sleep spell to calm her of, presumably, the same frightened outburst that had led to Nerrida leaping from a window.

As long as she lived, Mikoto knew without the slightest doubt that she would never again feel the fear of watching her beloved child, for so long thought dead, seemingly plummet to her death. She had dashed to the window, staring alongside Ryouma with a morbid fixation as the girl's body tumbled through the air, and most likely landed in a crater, bloodied and broken. Yet, when they had made it to the training grounds of Shirasagi castle, where Nerrida had landed, there had been no body, no crater, no blood. The soldiers training there had rushed to them, half panicked, half disbelieving, saying the princess had definitely fallen there, but with no more velocity than falling off a standing pegasus, and had taken off towards the lake. Some of them claimed that they saw wings, others horns, that vanished in a flash of light. Ryouma quickly dismissed their imagined sightings, sending the soldiers after his wayward sister.

     “Mikoto-sama....” The empress looked up, drawn from her trance. She smiled at the songstress.

     “Please, Azura-chan; there's no need to stand on such ceremony with me, especially not when it's just the two of us. None of my children call me 'Mikoto-sama'; why do you think you're the exception to that rule?” Azura did not answer her question, turning her own gaze down to the body that separated them.

     “When I was returning from the stables with Hinoka, I saw the soldiers heading towards the lake. Ryouma said they were looking for Nerrida, but they came back empty handed. Half an hour later, _you_ came back with her.” Mikoto smiled benignly.

     “I suppose I have a better knack for where my children might hide than anxious soldiers.” The songstress said nothing, but her expression spoke to disbelief of those words. The older woman's smiled dimmed a bit, her face evening into a regal mask.

     “Azura, could I ask you to do something for me?”

     “Of course.”

     “Please go to my chambers and bring me the blue stone in my chest. You know the one; I've shown it to you.” Azura's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening for but a second before she closed it and nodded. Getting to her feet, the princess slid the doors open just enough to slip out and closed them back. The sliver of light snuffed out once more, Mikoto sighed quietly, reaching out and stroking her daughter's forehead, smoothing back the still damp strands of hair clinging to her skin.

000

Nerr could hardly decide what was worse; her pounding head, her churning stomach, or the fact that her mouth tasted like bile. All three things at once were indicative of a hang over, a horrible ailment she'd only experienced once in her life, just last year in fact, when they'd been lucky enough to get a full cask of mead at the citadel. Having never experience the fermented honey, it was only a matter of time until she over indulged, not realizing that it wasn't meant to be drunk as liberally as wine or beer until she had finished off her fifth mug. How could she have been so stupid to do that again? Unless she had been goaded on by one of Leo's snide remarks, in which case she knew _exactly_ how she could be that stupid. A hand rested on her shoulder, and the princess groaned hoarsely, trying to edge away from the touch whilst moving as little as possible. No one was going to wake her up for anything but training, and she didn't have any kind of capacity to be put through her paces today. Again, the hand touched her.

     “Noooo...” She moaned, reaching down to pull her covers over her head. They weren't as heavy as they usually were, nor as thick. A soft, feminine voice laughed slightly, and she threw her arm over her eyes, not ready for Flora's mockery.

     “It looks like you're awake now. Rise and shine, Nerr-tan.” Groggy as she was, that voice, by way of it's unfamiliarity alone, roused Nerr completely, her gut clenching in sudden fear. The covers pulled back slightly, and she gripped them tighter, keeping them over her face to shield herself from whatever nightmarish sights awaited her this time. “Nerrida--”

     “No. Get away from me, Hoshidan. I don't know what kind of curse you've put on me, but I won't fall for your trickery.” The voice, much more mature than Flora's when she actually paid attention to it, sighed. It sounded weary.

     “We've put no curse on you, dear child. A sleeping spell, yes, but only because you were thrashing so violently we were afraid you'd hurt yourself.” Anger overtook the fear she felt, and the Nohrian princess sat up, yanking the covers away to glare at the Hoshidan woman.

     “I was leaving!! And you set your horde upon me to keep me from escaping! You didn't care about me getting hurt; you were worried I'd hurt your precious soldiers, so you _hexed_ me to lock me up again! Try to twist what happened all you want; the truth won't bend to your forked tongue!” Mikoto shook as she listened to the hateful words spat by her daughter, any trace of fear in her gaze replaced with contempt, but Nerr did not back down from her rage. Keeping her face as stoic as ever, the empress inhaled deeply, seemingly to calm herself.

     “No one 'locked you up'. We returned you to your room--”

     “A comfortable prison is still a prison.”

     “This is your _home!_ ” Mikoto could not control the hysterical tone of her voice, and neither could her daughter.

     “This is my _hell_ , you wretched bitch! You took me from my family, my home- my _real_ home- my _life!_ Let me go or just kill me already!” Nerr breathed hard, winded by her fury. Home? How could this horrid, hateful place be her home?! Her vision shifted in and out of focus, the red in her periphery growing brighter as the rest of the colors lost their hue. Out of the corners of her eyes, it looked like thick veins snaked across the walls, pulsating sickeningly but disappearing when she tried to focus on them. Groaning, she doubled over, feeling as though someone was drilling into her skull. A cool, gentle hand touched her shoulder.

     “Nerrida? What is it? Are you not feeling well?” Gritting her teeth, the princess slapped the woman's hands away.

     “My name is not 'Nerrida'! Stop calling me that! Ungh.... Oh gods... What have you done to me...??” Mikoto grabbed her again, trying to lay her back onto the blankets.

     “We've done nothing, dearest. Lay back down, you need to rest.”

     “No, I need to leave! I need to go back home!!” She lashed out at the older woman, striking her across the face. With a cry of mingled shock and pain, the empress brought her hand to her cheek, pulling her fingers away with a wince and staring at the tinge of blood staining her fingers. Nerr stared as well at the beads of crimson dotting the porcelain-like flesh. Like the blood staining the rotting planks of the bridge spanning the Chasm... She'd been so close to crossing it, and now... gods above, what could she hope to return to on the other side? Her siblings undoubtedly thought her dead. Her father the one who organized everything in the first place... Who knew if the Hoshidans had gotten to Jakob too, and deemed him not worth taking prisoner... Gunther, broken and bloody and mouldering at the bottom of the chasm... Tears stung her eyes, and the princess curled into a tight ball, biting her lip to stifle her sobs. Mikoto stared at the crying girl, at a loss for how to react.

     “Nerrida...”

     “No! Gods, leave me be, just let me die...!” Sighing, but seeing no other recourse, the older woman stood, ensuring she still held the azure rune in her hand, and quietly slipped from the room. Nerr found more comfort alone in the darkness than in the presence of Hoshidans, but the knowledge that they were everywhere, surrounding her, kept her ill at ease.

The sun had set, not into anything that resembled night, but at least a less bright afternoon. Miserable and worn to her core, the princess collapsed onto her side. It was possible the castle security would be more lax now that it was later, but she didn't have the strength to attempt another escape. Every second she spent staring at the strange room infuriated her, but the moment she closed her eyes, she was reminded of the darkness of the Chasm... If she had just stretched her hand out a little bit more... Gods, why didn't she just try a little harder...?

 

_Nerr..._

 

Gasping, she started, looking around frantically. Someone called her name... but she couldn't even distinguish from where the voice was coming from. Holding her breath just in case the mystery voice called out again, she waited and listened... but there was nothing but silence. Eying the room suspiciously, the princess slowly laid down onto the thin mat that seemed to serve as a bed. Before arriving in Hoshido, she'd had been out like a light the moment her head touched a pillow. Here and now, she dozed, but sleep did not come.

000

A pattern seemed to form in the castle of Shirasagi. Day in and day out, the newly reclaimed princess would make an attempt to escape, occasionally scaling down the sheer side of the castle, though more often than not, she would simply run like a bat out of Hell through the halls, towards the massive doors she had been led through that first day. Day in and day out, the guards stopped her, struggling to restrain her while she fought tooth and nail to break free from their clutches, breaking arms and ribs in the process. Once, she had reached for the Ganglari blade she'd forgotten still hung from her hip, swinging it scabbard and all at the head of one of the guards. She could hear his skull crunch under the bladebefore he hit the ground in a lifeless heap, but could hear nor see anything else as a hex drained her of her energy, leaving her falling into a dead faint as well.

Every day, the odd Hoshidan clerics used their devil staves to knock her unconscious so they could drag her back to her cell. And every day, the effects of their spells faded quicker, as Prince Ryouma quickly realized. Nerr could feel him hovering over her, watching and judging. She waited until both her mind and body where fully awake before opening her eyes as quickly and widely as she could. His flinch may have been small, but it did not go unnoticed by her sharp eyes. For a long moment, both royals simply glared at one another in silence, the tension between them palpable. Ryouma spoke first, his deep voice even, but cold.

     “Have you any idea what you've done? These cries for attention are shameful enough, but you severely wounded one of your own people! You--” She cut him off by sitting up, taking a moment wait for the room to stop spinning before climbing to her feet. “Nerrida, what do you think you're doing? I'm speaking to you- sit back down!”

     “I don't take orders from Hoshidans.” She spat, walking past the prince only to be halted in her tracks. Staring down incredulously, she noticed the high prince tightly clutching her bare ankle as he glared up at her.

     “I don't know what those anyan savages have taught you, but you will _not_ disrespect me in such a manner.” Nerr stared at him for a moment. Pivoting, she caught him off guard and smashed her free heel into his mouth. With a muffled cry of pain, Ryouma let go of her, reaching up to cup his quickly swelling lips.

     “If you ever grab me again, you'll lose that hand.” Heading to the door before the prince could make another attempt to stop her, she grabbed the wooden frame roughly, her fingers punching through the thin paper screen as she wrenched it open, nearly running headlong into Mikoto. The empress held something wrapped in thick cloth, blinking in surprise as she stared at the girl.

     “Oh. Nerrida. You're awake...” Glancing past her supposed daughter, the older woman's brows furrowed as she took note of Ryouma clambering to his feet, blood dripping between his fingers. “What happened to Ryouma?”

     “The same thing that's going to happen to you if you don't move.” Nerr could feel herself shaking with frustration as the pain in her head began to return. Being surrounded by Hoshidans on either side... she could just imagine Ryoma Sama grabbing her neck the way he grabbed her ankle and snapping it. Mikoto sighed quietly, her posture that of someone utterly worn out by the world. The princess knew that feeling... she almost felt sorry for the other woman. _Almost_.

     “Before you attempt your daily escape, I'd like to ask you a question or two.” At once, the younger girl grew defensive.

     “If you want information, you'll have to torture it from me.”

     “No,” Mikoto shook her head. “Not 'information'. Just... answers to simple questions. Ryouma-kun... would you leave us?” The man scowled deeply.

     “I'm not certain that's wise, Mother. Nerrida may be small, but she's vicious. Like a foul-tempered badger.” It was too late for flattery. Regardless, the empress nodded despite her impassive expression.

     “I will keep that in mind.” It was obvious the prince did not wish to leave, but Mikoto's voice left little room for refusal. As he slipped past her, her gaze softened. “You'd best go see Sakura; we don't want that handsome face all swollen, now do we?” Taking her son's place in the room, she knelt down on the pallet, looking expectantly at the princess. “Will you sit, Nerrida?”

     “I will not.” She replied shortly. “Ask your questions so that I may stop humoring you and leave.”

     “Will you never let this hostility rest?”

     “Is this one of the 'one or two' questions you wish me to answer?” The older woman remained silent for a moment, before slowly unwrapping the cloth package she held. Nerr recognized the Ganglari's sheathe. The jewel set in it's guard gleamed dully as Mikoto unsheathed it.

     “You attacked one of our guards with this. He's alive, but it's uncertain if he will ever wake.” The princess crossed her arms over her chest, making an effort to appear as standoffish as possible.

     “The fact that your tone suggests I should care is insulting. One of your minions clubbed me in the back of the head and offered only the most half-assed of apologies. I can reciprocate in kind.” Dark brown eyes widened.

     “What? Wh-when, when were you attacked?”

     “Don't pretend you don't know. Ignorance is not a good look on a ruler. Ask your question, Hoshidan, or leave me be.” Mikoto sighed, perhaps realizing her underhanded tricks would not work on a princess of Nohr.

     “Where did you get this blade from?”

     “My father.” She answered quickly, a hint of pride tinging her voice instinctively before she remembered that was nothing to be proud of. The damnable thing had nearly killed her. But no one else needed to know that. The older woman ran her hand over the flat edge of the blade, tracing the rough stone surface, her lips set in a thin line.

     “I see. I have one more question for you, then.” Looking up, earthen eyes met crimson. They looked nothing alike. “Why, a few days ago, did you flee to the lake west of the castle?” That question threw Nerr for a loop. She herself did not know the answer to that question. In truth, she had no idea, other than the fact that she'd had a sudden urge to do so, an overwhelming feeling that said 'this is a good thing to do'.

     “I thought I could lose your guard dogs by swimming across.”

     “...really?”

     “Yes. Really.” Both women stared at one another in silence for a long time, waiting to see who would crack first. Nerr knew it would not be her, and she was proven correct as the empress looked away. She carefully replaced the sword in it's scabbard and wrapped it back up.

     “I see.” Getting to her feet and gathering the sword back into her arms, Mikoto walked slowly, pausing as she reached the younger girl. With her brows furrowed slightly and lips pursed, she looked like she might cry, but her voice was steady and even. “I know you do not trust me. I know you think I am doing things just to hurt you. But that could not be further from the truth. All I do is for your sake, Nerrida. I'm your mother, whether you remember that fact or not. You can always speak to me about anything.” Nerr stared deep into her eyes.

     “...That's not my name.”

000

Nerr waited until Mikoto had left, but did not follow suit, instead closing the flimsy screen once more and retreating to the far corner of the room. The more she thought about them, the more the empress' questions irked her. The fact that they made no sense on the surface... what did it matter where she'd gotten her sword? Wouldn't anyone just assume she'd gotten it from the royal armory? And the lake... Being made to dwell on it bothered her, but she could not change her train of thought. The vision of the lake reminded her of something perhaps from a dream, something... comforting? Maybe? A voice calling out to her... A chill ran up her spine, causing her to shiver and break out in goose flesh as she recalled hearing someone call her name in this very room. It was possible there was a hole in one of the walls, hidden in the shadows for someone to watch her. She wouldn't put anything past the Hoshidans.

Nerr's stomach growled loudly. It had been three... four days since she had been brought to the Hoshidan castle (gods above, how could it have only been four days?!). Food was left for her outside her door, but she never touched it, repulsed, upset, and suspicious of the strange looking meals. She hadn't eaten since leaving the mountain village in the snowy north, and even then it had been a reluctant mouthful of some sort of dried venison. She was not too concerned- she had gone days without eating before. Such was the way of life in the Northern Citadel, especially in the winter, but her hunger only reminded her that she could not survive in Hoshido. All things considered, she would not have been surprised if this was the Hoshidan's plan all along. She could envision them poisoning the food before the set it at her door, _knowing_ she would assume it was poisoned, but covering all their bases just in case.

She could either starve to death slowly and painfully, or die a long, drawn out death from poisoning. Either way, that was one Nohrian dealt with in their book. She would not give them the satisfaction of knowing they had killed her. She could just picture that horrid Ryoma Sama smirking over her corpse, emaciated and withered or bloated and purple and frothing at the mouth, the same cruel pleasure in his eyes that had lit up Hans' face as he gloated at her over Gunther's death. Misery and rage roiled inside her, leaving her stomach churning as her eyes stung. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rested her head on them, simply letting the tears drip from her lashes, dotting the worn out fabric of her tights. She felt so stupid now for all those times she thought she had been lonely in the citadel. How could she have ever presumed to know what loneliness felt like? Until now... Now, she really, truly was all alone.

She wished Xander were there with her, the only other guiding light in her life. He would know what to do- he wouldn't sit around, crying in the corner and feeling sorry for himself while the enemy plotted how to destroy him, and he wouldn't let her do so either. Leo would have already come up with an ingenious method of escape. Camilla would either seduce those those who stood in her way or else, cleaved a path through them. Elise... Well, Elise probably wouldn't be a sorry sack of self pity. She'd be upset, but then she would perk up and adamantly believe that her siblings would come for her if she couldn't get out on her own. And they would. Nerr knew that if Elise had been captured by the Hoshidans, she would go to war all by her lonesome to get her baby sister back, and had no doubt her other siblings would as well.

But they didn't _know_ she was alive and imprisoned by the Hoshidans- how could they? Hans, that worthless swineshagger, must've told everyone that she and Gunther both- if not Jakob as well- had been murdered by the Hoshidans. Little by little, the thought of that pale, ugly pile of excrement made her loathing grow stronger, until anger and hatred had bled into her unhappiness, overtaking it completely. Balling her hands into tight fists, the princess closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she had a goal of some sort, she could move forward easier than she could when she simply drifted. Her last goal had been to be a soldier in the Nohrian army, to prove her worth in battle, to _not_ be married to the pompous ass of her father's choosing. The mere thought of crawling back to Garon after what he had sent her into infuriated her now. No... her new goal was to find Hans... and obliterate him. Everything else could come later.

Feeling much calmer despite her anger, Nerr got to her feet. There was no point in going out the door- there were guards out there. She could hear them milling about. Even in the citadel, she didn't have armed guards. She wasn't allowed past the outer bailey, but there had never been anything actually _stopping_ her from leaving- why, once she'd gotten it into her head to have a picnic with one of her imaginary friends while Jakob and Gunther were busy with their duties, and had just waltzed out, scaling the massive wall just as easily as she climbed over the bookshelves and suits of armor within the fortress. The nerve of that Hoshidan bitch, daring to claim this wasn't a prison... Well, it was a shoddy one, regardless.

Nerr walked over to the window, grabbing the geometric panes and pulling. It took several strong tugs, rocking back and forth and putting her weight into it, but the wooden beams splintered and eventually broke. Wooden windows... utterly pathetic. Perhaps, given how high up the castle was, the Hoshidans had simply not expected their prisoners to make escapes out the window, but that was their folly. Either Mikoto or Ryoma Sama had ordered her be stripped of her armor when they took the Ganglari, leaving her in naught but her tights and blouse (her hairpin remained firmly in place above her left ear though, thank the gods). As such, she had to be more careful than usual as she climbed out the window, trying to avoid the sharp, makeshift stakes jutting around her. She managed to weave between the splintered wood with only minor scraps and a tear in her sleeve, stepping out onto the curved partition outside her window. The green tiles were hot under her bare feet, baked by the near constant Hoshidan sun. The princess squinted, blinded by the light, her skin, pale even by Nohrian standard, burning easily. Raising a hand to try and shield her eyes, Nerr slowly made her way towards the edge.

This was the third time she had attempted her escape by scaling the outside of the castle. The first time... she could barely remember what happened. She only recalled bits and pieces of that day, hellish scenes straight from a fever dream. The second time she had dropped down from one roof to the one below it, climbing down the support beams in between floors. She would've gotten away with it, too, had the damnable guards not noticed her. This time, she would be calm and take her time. Reaching the edge of the roof, she got onto her hands and knees, grabbing hold of the curved edge and lowering herself off the edge slowly.

Despite her hands being rough and calloused from years of swordplay, the hot tiles burned her palms almost worse than her feet. Lamenting her lack of gloves, Nerr swung to and fro, letting go when her swing had completed it's arc, sending her onto the next landing. The princess tucked her body into a ball as she rolled across the tiles, cooler as they were in the shade of the the upper partition. Standing, she took a moment to try and figure out exactly where she needed to go. Miles away, she could see the mountains that lead to the Infinite Chasm, tiny in their distance. Creeping along the exterior wall, she made her way westward before attempting to repeat the process of descending. Just as her toes reached the edge of the roof, a gust of wind knocked her slightly off balance.

     “There you are!” Nerr screamed aloud, partially from the sudden appearance of the massive pegasus before her, the force of it's wings beating her back, and partially from the anger of seeing the red-headed Hoshidan princess.

     “Get away from me, Hoshidan!” She tried to dodge to the side, but the pegasus rider quickly blocked her, her own crimson eyes narrowed in a mix of anger and frustration.

     “You're not getting away that easily, Nerrida. Now, just get back inside. Don't be stupi-- hey!” While the Hoshidan spoke, Nerr turned and began running, heading back in the direction she came from. Her toes caught on the overlapping tiles, tripping her, but she did not let those stumbles slow her down. Reaching the other side of the castle was no easy task, especially when she could hear the flapping of wings gaining on her, but she soon got to the edge of the curved roof.

She paused _looking down, though not seeing much as everything blurred and distorted around her. There had to be a ledge, some kind of protrusion he could catch himself on--_ She gasped, back pedaling as her head throbbed, the searing pain like a pike jamming into her temples, enough to momentarily blind her. As she stumbled, something grabbed at her clothes. In a blind panic, she pulled away from whatever it was desperately, reminded of the vision she had awoken to days earlier. The ground under her heel dropped out from under her, and Nerr found herself falling. She grabbed for the ledge, catching it by her fingertips, but it was not enough. As her grip slipped, she hit the lower roof feet first. From the sudden impact to sharp agony radiating up from her ankles, the princess fell to her knees, barely noticing the sound of wings beating the air and a second set of feet hitting the tiles as well.

     “Nerrida, are you-- gods, I don't think your feet are supposed to do that. Give me your hand.” Nerr looked up, scowling at the sight of Princess Hinoka's outstretched hand. She swatted it away.

     “I'd rather jump to my death than willingly accompany you back to that prison, savage.” The older woman's expression darkened, as her hand lowered ever so slightly.

     “...those Nohrians did a number on you, didn't they...?” She closed her eyes, sighing with a weariness that seemed to come from her very soul. When they opened once more, the ruby eyes were filled with a look of resolution that seemed... disingenuous. Or perhaps that was simply a result of Nerr's vision wavering around the corners in her pain. “Well, whatever anyan devil magic they used on you, it's nothing that we can't overcome. But first, we gotta do something about those ankles.”

     “No! Get away from me, you she-beast!” The Norhian girl tried to fight her off, but given that she couldn't escape, she was soon captured. Despite her short stature and slim appearance, Hinoka was stronger than she looked, heaving the other girl up with relative ease. Nerr cried out as the slightest amount of weight was put on her shattered ankles.

     “Sorry, sorry. Give me a second.” The pegasus knight adjusted her grip and heaved her supposed sister over her shoulder, like a sack of flour. “You're going to have to sit in front of me. Don't try to jump.”

     “I'll rip your spine out, you godless heathen.” Nerr seethed, venom dripping from her voice. Hinoka laughed coldly as she walked back over to the pegasus that was beating it's wings to remain aloft as it waited for it's rider.

     “Is that what kind of indoctrination the Nohrians fed you? If anything, it's the other way around.” The redhead said wryly as she deposited the other princess onto her steed, not seated upright, but draped across the beast. Quickly hopping into the saddle behind her, Hinoka was quick to grab the scruff of her blouse with one hand while the other directed the reins, guiding the pegasus towards the castle grounds, away from the mountains. Nerr watched as they disappeared from her periphery, too focused on the sense of dread washing over her to pay much attention to the lies the Hoshidan was spouting.

     “We're not the ones who had to make sacrifices to a demon god to be granted his blessing. Nohrians are all descended from murderers and cannibals, and they're no better than their savage ancestors. Everything they've ever told you have been lies, Nerrida.” They touched down a few meters from a group of soldiers or guards running drills. “Did you hear me, Nerrida?” The Nohrian girl made no remark as the other woman alighted, turning to face her. “I know you heard me. The Norhians are-- gah!!” She was cut short from reiterating her point as a gob of spit hit her dead center in the face. Nerr glowered at her, loathing radiating from her.

     “Don't feed me your lies, Hoshidan filth. It won't work on me.”

     “AUGH! They didn't just brainwash you, they made you completely insane!” As she backed away, wiping her face with her sleeve, several of the nearby soldiers, alerted by her cry of disgust, came running, weapons drawn.

     “Hinoka-sama! What is it?” Looking up and breathing hard, winded by her anger, the Hoshidan princess pointed at Nerr.

     “Take my sister back to her quarters. I have to go wash my face. And mind her feet.” One soldier bowed lowly, before he and another lifted the teal-haired girl from the saddle with surprising gentleness, carrying her between them.

     “Of course, Hinoka-sama. Come, Nerrida-sama.”

     “Augh, damn you all!”

000

For the first two floors of the castle, the only discomfort Nerr felt was that of her middle sagging between the soldiers who carried her by her arms and knees, jostling her slightly as they walked. Without warning, the man in front let go of her legs, causing them to hit the floor. Hard. She cried out at the unexpected pain, a high keen that was quickly silenced by the back of a hand. Her head jolted painfully to the side from the force of the slap.

     “Shut your trap, Nohrian. No one has time for this bullshit.” The man who had dropped her sneered coldly, his hand still raised. The other soldier sounded a bit confused behind her.

     “What are we going to do with her?”

     “Who cares? Leave her here. The little bitch will just try to escape again, so what's the point in dragging her all the way back to 'her' quarters?” The way he emphasized “her” made it clear he bought into the Hoshidans' story that she was their long-lost princess as little as she herself did. After a few seconds, Nerr felt the support holding her torso up pull away, dropping her rudely to the floor.

     “I guess you have a point. We might as well--”

     “What's all this commotion?” Both soldiers turned on their heels and bowed lowly as Mikoto peered around the corner of the hall.

     “Mikoto-sama! We apologize for any inconvenience.”

     “That's not a-- goodness! Nerrida?! What's happened?” Before she could get a word out, the heathen who'd slapped her spoke up.

     “Nerrida-sama attempted to escape again, empress. She was injured. We were taking her back to her quarters, but she began struggling and I fear we lost our grip in the scuffle.”

     “You lying pus sack!” Despite her knowledge that Hoshidans twisted the truth, she could not help her outburst. Mikoto sighed wearily, bowing slightly as well. She held a bundle wrapped in cloth under her arm.

     “I apologize for that. I understand that Nerrida is still reeling after her ordeal-”

     “You're actually buying that hokum!? That bastard slapped me--” Paying the girl's enraged cries no mind, the older woman looked back to her soldiers.

     “If it's not too much trouble, would you...?”

     “Of course, Mikoto-sama.” The dastard who'd struck her quickly went back to his place at Nerr's feet, once again picking her up along with his comrade as gently as possible under the watchful eye of their sovereign. “Now Nerrida-sama, no struggling.” He mockingly chided. Gritting her teeth as the pressure behind her eyes grew, Nerr bent her knee, trapping his hand between her calf and thigh as she drew him back, lunging out of the other soldier's grip and onto his back. With her arms wrapped around his neck, it looked as though she was merely mimicking the piggy back rides Gunther and her older siblings used to give her, but as she dug her jagged, broken nails into the man's throat, she made it quite clear this was no childish gesture.

     “I'll rip your throat out, Hoshidan. How's that for struggling?” She seethed in his ear. Quick footsteps padded beside her, and the princess looked down to see Mikoto's face, writ with concern, pull up alongside her. Before the queen could voice her concern, Nerr addressed her.

     “The way they were carrying me was uncomfortable. This is better. I'd hate for them to _accidentally_ drop me again.” Her tone still seethed with irritation, lest she think something was strange. It appeared she didn't, as her face relaxed. Digging her knees into the soldier's side, she smirked behind his helmet where Mikoto couldn't see. “Giddy up, mule.” With the empress beside him and a tight grip around his throat, he had no choice but to comply. The tinniest sense of pride and accomplishment surged within in as the small group made their way back into the depths of the castle, back to her prison. If nothing else, she maintained her pride... and there was so very little else... Another escape foiled, and this time by a gods forsaken sense of deja-vu.

She'd never been afraid of heights before, so why now? It mattered little. If the Hoshidans had any sense (it seemed that they fluctuated between intelligence and stupidity with frightening ease) they would leave her crippled. Even if she somehow made it out of the castle, she wouldn't make it very far with what felt like two shattered ankles. It took less time to reach her cell than it took to escape from it. The Hoshidan carrying her lowered her very slowly and deliberately, not daring to throw her down, either due to Mikoto's presence or else, the nails still tearing at his flesh. Both soldiers bowed to their empress as they left the room, and she slid the panel closed. Walking over to the broken window, she peered out towards the vast blue sky. A deep sigh, that seemed pulled from the depth of her soul, escaped her lips.

     “...what if you had died, Nerrida? Did you think of that? What if your little stunt had left you with more than broken legs?” Nerr scowled at the back of the woman's head.

     “I fail to see the downside to that. A better fate than being your prisoner.” The older woman spun around to face her, her eyes hard.

     “No, daughter. You were a prisoner in Nohr, locked away in tower in the mountains, hidden from the rest of the world by a cruel, evil man--”

     “That was my _home_. I understand how you could be confused, so allow me to clarify- I _wanted_ to be there. I _don't_ want to be _here_.” Mikoto continued staring her down, but Nerr's gaze would not waver- she had won staring contests against scarier men than this irritating waif of a woman. Finally, the empress looked away. She leaned against the wall beside the broken window, sliding down until sat on the floor. Her whole body seemed lifeless, slumped like a puppet with it's strings cut. It caught Nerr off guard. Her father would never allow himself to be seen in such a weak, vulnerable position, nor would Xander or Camilla. No Nohrian would.

     “I just wanted us to be a family again... It didn't seem like too much to ask for...” The empress seemed to be speaking more to herself than Nerr, which was just as well. As long as she didn't move, the princess felt fine, but the slightest muscle spasm sent agony radiating up her legs. Shifting on the hard floor was a mistake, and Nerr hissed sharply through her clenched teeth. Mikoto looked up at her, almost as if she had forgotten she was there. “Oh... Gods, that's right. I'd completely forgotten you haven't been healed yet.” Getting to her feet with a slight grunt, the empress flitted over to the screen, looking back over her shoulder as she slid it open. “You stay right there, Nerrida.”

Nerr was tempted spit back a vicious retort, but bit her tongue. She didn't have the energy to pick petty fights with the Hoshidans. She stared at the broken window, a pathway to freedom, mocking her. She could've been at the lake by now if she hadn't hesitated. Groaning slightly, she buried her face in her hands. It hadn't been brought on by doubt or fear, but rather, some sort of waking night terror. Every day seemed to bring on some new form of nightmare even when she could swear she was awake. Gods above, was she losing her mind? Was this why the Hoshidans kept bringing her back, to ensure she would break under their watch? Once again, a painful pressure began building behind her eyes. Breathing hard, Nerr pulled her hands away, blinking in surprise as she noticed the bundle of cloth where the empress had been sitting. She had either left it behind, or else, just forgotten it. The last time she had brought something to Nerr's room, she'd asked unnerving questions regarding her sword. Biting her lip, the princess rolled onto her side, pulling herself towards the bundle with her hands, trying to keep her legs as still as possible. It took a few reaches, but she managed to grab the small package. Sitting back up, she looked over it.

It seemed to be plain white silk, but whatever was inside was hard and cool to the touch. Pulling the cloth back, Nerr found herself staring at a clear blue stone. It reminded her of the sapphires she had seen set in the necklaces of the duchesses at the fete, only paler and larger. Indeed, it was about the size of a pear, taking up the whole of her hand as she unwrapped it fully, discarding it's silk cover. Was this Hoshido's wealth? Did they just have massive gemstones lying around? Surely nothing in the Nohrian treasury was so large. As she turned the massive stone over in her hand, what had seemed like a shadow in it's center drew her attention. Squinting, Nerr held it up to the light. There was a horned skull within the gem, a tiny, blackened piece of bone about the size of her thumb. The sight of it turned her stomach for some reason, but she didn't have long to dwell on those thoughts as the screen slid open once more.

     “I had to fetch another festal from the infirmary- my old one got worn out while I was healing Taku--” Mikoto trailed off as she noticed Nerr. Silently, she stepped back into the room, sliding the door closed behind her. The Nohrian girl watched her every step, torn between wanting to put the stone down and wanting to grip it tighter just in case she needed a weapon. Kneeling down before her, the older woman reached out, gently prodding one of her swollen ankles as she examined it. Holding the bare foot still with one hand, she waved the staff across it with the other. Nerr dropped the stone with a high pitched keen as her bones fused back together, her skin burning and itching from within. It only took seconds for the fractures to heal, but it seemed to go on for an eternity, the pain lingering even as the faint glow of healing magic died down.

     “Do you know what that is, Nerrida?”

     “The burning pain in my leg?” The princess gasped out, letting herself collapse onto the mat floor.

     “The stone you were holding. Have you ever seen one like it before?” Glancing down at the stone beside her, Nerr frowned slightly.

     “No. I can't say I have. Is this your way of showing off Hoshido's vast riches?”

     “No.” Mikoto reached out and took hold of the stone, turning it over in her hand for a moment. Her gaze seemed forlorn, almost longing as she ran her finger across one of it's facets. “This is something I think will help you.”

     “Help me what?” The empress paused, her grip on the stone tightening.

     “Help you with your... outbursts. A few days ago, you jumped out of a window, and again today...”

     “I'm not jumping out of windows for fun, lady; I'm trying to get away from you.” Nerr seethed. The nerve of the Hoshidan, trying to make her sound like she was crazy... At least she didn't know about those visions... Mikoto looked up, her eyes hard.

     “The way you're going about it is most distressing. I found you in the lake- what if you'd drowned?!”

     “Unless your magic rock will help me swim, I don't see how it's going to help.”

     “It will... suppress... those destructive urges..” Nerr frowned at her odd wording. “Destructive urges”? Didn't Hinoka say that the whole of Hoshido was covered by a barrier that did just that? Or did that only apply to born and bred Nohrians? And besides, her “urges” could only be considered 'destructive' to herself. As she pondered this strange admission, growing more and more displeased with every new train of thought, the older woman continued speaking. “If you were to have a fit in the square, you'd terrify the townspeople--”

     “Wait. What? What square, what are you talking about?” Mikoto looked up at her, seemingly confused by her confusion.

     “Tomorrow we'll be holding a ceremony in the square in Shirasagi. To let your people know their princess has returned.”

     “WHAT?!” The Hoshidan woman flinched at the volume of her voice- most of the castle could probably hear her, but Nerr didn't even register that. “Ceremony? Square? Princess!? You'd better not mean _me!”_

     “Of course I do, Nerrida. There have been rumors going around that King Garon's spies have infiltrated the castle, and the longer they go unchecked, the more fear will spread. It's obvious they're talking about you, so we will put those rumors to rest--”

     “Put to rest, my ass! You're damn right they mean me! I may not be a spy, but I sure as hell am not _your_ princess, and I won't let you put me on display for these savages so you can brag about this victory you've achieved!”

     “Nerrida.” Mikoto's voice was unusually sharp. “This is not about one-uping Nohr; your people deserve to know you have returned to us--”

     “No! I haven't 'returned' anywhere; you kidnapped me and brought me here! These _aren't_ my people! I'm Nohrian!” With every word she screamed, her throat felt more and more raw, she could feel the painful pressure building up in her skull once more. Nerr could practically feel her eyes bulging as her brain seemed to press against them, but she could not stop her anger and, deep seated though it may have been, fear. “Your lies won't work on me! If you want me up on display in your town square, it'll be as a corpse!”

     “Nerrida, calm yourself!” Mikoto no longer sounded forceful, her inflection now tinged with panic. Her hands felt cool on Nerr's arms, even as she pulled away from the grip that sought to still her. “Take the stone; you need it.” The stone... the stone that was supposed to “control” her urges... probably the same way those gods forsaken staves controlled her by leaving her unconscious for hours. Nerr slapped the empress's hand away from her, sending the azure rune flying to one of the corners of the room.

     “No! Get your devil magic away from me!” Mikoto stared at her for a long time, before inhaling sharply and getting to her feet, gripping the wooden shaft of her healing rod so tightly it seemed as though it would break.

     “I've tried being kind and patient, but it isn't working. If you're going to act like a petulant child, then I'm going to _treat_ you like one. It pains me to leave you injured, but... if that is the only way to ensure you don't get yourself killed trying to escape again, then I have no other choice. I'll return to heal you when you've calmed down and come to your senses.”

Turning on her heel, the older woman stalked away, looking very much like a petulant child herself. She paused, walking over to the stone that lay in the corner. Her posture slumped inwards as she retrieved it, making her seem small, defeated... but only for a moment. When she straightened, she looked regal once more, holding her head high as she walked out of the room. As the screen door closed, darkening the shadows ever so slightly, Nerr leaned back onto the floor, breathing hard. Her head was still pounding, her stomach churned something awful, and a wretched malaise seemed to settle over her. It was hard to tell what was worse- the fact that the Hoshidans were planning to do... _something_ with her as the main event tomorrow, or the fact that she had no way of escaping her fate. While a phantom pain still lingered in her right ankle, the left remained massively swollen and discolored. She could barely move her leg, much less put weight on it. She was unarmed, defenseless, and at the mercy of her captors. The princess closed her eyes, her earlier outburst now taking it's toll and leaving her feeling weak and exhausted.

     “Gods above, just kill me now... let it be over with. Strike me down rather than leave me to the mercy of these Hoshidans...” _Their_ princess, Mikoto had said. How dare she? There was nothing, _nothing_ , Hoshidan about Nerr. The silence stretched as time trickled by in slow dollops, and her half-hearted prayer remained unanswered.

000

Dusk fell over Hoshido, their ever-bright sky only turning violet and gold as the night grew apace. Nerr assumed the Hoshidans were eating dinner, as the screen slip open and another tray of food had been set before the door. She paid it no mind as always, pointedly ignoring the rumbling in her stomach as the scent of some kind of soup wafted over to her. She had dragged herself as close to the still-broken window as possible, and the fresh air diluted the scent at least a bit. At this point, the Nohrian girl was simply counting down the hours until tomorrow. She assumed Mikoto would leave her in the state she was in until the last possible moment, so it came as a surprise when the door slid open again. A person stepped inside this time, rather than place their goods and leave, but it wasn't the Hoshidan empress. Nerr frowned as the robed figure rudely kicked aside her tray, spilling soup onto the woven mats of the floor. She wasn't going to eat it, but it still offended her to see food wasted in such a way.

     “I'm surprised you're still here. Shouldn't you be scaling down the side of the castle like the nasty little roach you are?”

     “Believe me, if I physically could, I would.” This new unwelcome visitor matched the ire of her stare. She.... vaguely remembered seeing him once, but it was very blurry. This must have been the “Tak-oo-mee” Mikoto had mentioned on occasion. His white hair was a bit too long to belong to boy, but his voice definitely sounded masculine. He was perhaps the same age as Leo. The thought of her brother left a pang in her gut. The Hoshidan prince carried something- two somethings, a bundle tucked under his arm and a jar in his hand. Approaching, but still leaving a wide berth between them, he tossed the jar at her. Nerr caught it, reluctant to let some kind of Hoshidan murder powder explode over her. The topper within the clay vessel had come slightly askew, leaking it's contents over her hands, a familiar scent accompanying it.

     “A vulneray? What's this for?”

     “Your leg. That'll heal it good enough before Mother comes up here. Then you can take this thing and get the hell out.” Lifting the bundle, Takumi tossed it onto the floor, where it landed with a metallic clank a bit too close to her broken ankle for comfort. Nerr stared at the roughly bound hilt of Ganglari for a moment before directing her attention back to the prince.

     “Why are you helping me?”

     “I'm _not.”_ He seethed, pure, unadulterated loathing radiating from him. “I'm helping me, and all of Hoshido. My family might be blind to your ways, Nohrian, but I'm not. If you want to go back to your hellhole with whatever intel you have, that's fine by me. You _should_ have been executed the moment you were captured, but it seems that it'll take another massacre before Mother sees that the only good anyan is a dead anyan. It doesn't matter what Nohr throws at us; Hoshido will never fall.” The tension between the pair was palpable as the seconds dragged on. The Nohrian girl raised the vulnerary.

     “So this _won't_ kill me?” Takumi scoffed.

     “No. I don't want you to die in Hoshido- take your corpse and your vile ghost back to Nohr where they belong.” She held it out to him, scowling.

     “Then you drink it first. Just to make sure.” He sputtered, his expression clearly insulted that she would even suggest such a thing. Gritting his teeth, the prince snatched the jar from her and put it to his lips, tilting it back. Nerr watched intently for any sign of it running down his chin or dripping onto the floor. It seemed he _was_ drinking it, though it was possible he had just taken an antidote beforehand.

Still, as he handed the now lighter pot back to her, she couldn't find a reason to not drink it herself. It was was poison, then she was dead and that was the end of that. At least she had taken a chance and _tried._ Her throat and stomach rebelled at the thick, salty sweet concoction as heat coursed throughout her entire body, seeking out every injury, not just the most pressing. The burning agony in her ankle as it stitched itself together was not nearly as pronounced as it had been earlier, and while her body was grateful for the slight relief, Nerr knew full well that wasn't a good thing. Less pain meant it was not healed well, but hopeful it was healed enough for now. Biting her lip, she experimentally flexed her toes. When that didn't bring any searing pain with it, she attempted to bend her ankle. Although she could only move it a bit, and it still hurt, the pain was not blinding. It was probably no worse than a bad sprain at the moment. She could live with that. Takumi seemed satisfied as well.

     “Now that you can walk, you can leave.”

     “Surely you know if I waltz through the front door, I'll just end up back here again.”

     “Then go out the window. You never seemed to mind before.” He snapped. “I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here. The sooner you're gone, the sooner Mother can realize her daughter is dead and move on.” Something other anger crept into his words towards the end, but Nerr didn't actually care what he was feeling. She smiled wryly.

     “You know, of all the Hoshidans I've met, I probably hate you the least. You have my gratitude.”

     “If I ever see you again, I'll murder you myself, you Nohrian scum.” With that last, acerbic threat, the prince stormed from the room, leaving Nerr in blessed silence. It seemed that perhaps the gods _did_ come through every now and then. Grabbing Ganglari, she unsheathed the blade and took it to her tights, cutting both legs to the knees and each sleeve of cloth into two. Tying them together formed a makeshift tourniquet, which she tied tightly around her ankle. It was nowhere near as neat as what Jakob could've done, but when she hesitantly climbed to her feet, there was only minimal pain. She had no sword belt- it seemed the Hoshidans deemed she no longer needed it when she had no sword to carry- so there was naught she could do but awkwardly tuck the scabbard under her arm as she once again made her way to the window.

Stepping out with even more precision than before, the tiles in the shade were cool beneath her feet, which meant the ones closer to the sun were probably no more than lukewarm. With the sky darker and no massive sun overhead to blind her, Nerr could maneuver about with relative ease. Just realizing that the elements of nature were no longer turned against her made her heart feel lighter than it had in days. Creeping to the edge of the roof, she hooked Ganglari's hanger over her shoulder and lowered herself down. There were no training soldiers, no meddlesome flying princesses... Though it must have taken almost an hour, by the time Nerr shimmied across the rafters of the last roof, she was positively elated. Dropping down from ten or so feet hurt much less when she was prepared for the impact, tucking into a ball and rolling the way she had been trained to do. Climbing back to her feet, she looked around, smiling. The coast was clear. The guards must have been stationed at the front of the castle. All she had to do was follow the mountains in the distance and she would be be back in Nohr.

Laughing with the relief, the princess took off, resisting the urge to break into a run. She couldn't get away from this hellhole called Hoshido fast enough. She would go back to Nohr and then... and then... Although her pace remained steady, the smile she'd been wearing until that moment slowly slid from her face. And then... confront her father about what happened at the Chasm? What would he say? What _could_ he say? That Hans was lying? That he had no idea Hoshidans would be at the border? And she would be expected to believe that... No. No, there was no time to worry about that now. She could cross that bridge when she got to it.

The sky grew no darker, but time _had_ to be flowing. Nerr could feel herself getting more and more exhausted with every step she took. The open plain surrounding the castle had given way to woodland thick with undergrowth that seemed to get more claustrophobic the deeper she trekked, but the mountains she caught glimpses of through the canopy seemed no closer. Every so often, an inexplicable shiver ran up her spine, giving her pause and causing her to look around her surroundings. She could hear nothing but incessant buzzing and occasional squeaks and chirps overhead, natural sounds, but ones that still filled her with a sense of unease. Perhaps because such natural things were unnatural in the desolation she had grown up in. Nerr walked slower, wrapping her arms around herself as though she could fend off the chill that was most assuredly coming from within. From her periphery, the trees seemed to shift just enough to attract her attention, but when she looked at them head on, of course they were still. They were trees. Trees with branches and leaves, not any kind of tendrils that could move of their own accord as though they belonged to something sentient.

There was nothing there with her but insects and dozing animals. The Hoshidan army would've made themselves known. Any ninja would've already killed her. There was nothing there with her. Right? Right. She kept telling herself that, even as her pace increased once more. Nerr's right hand went for the hilt of her blade. She was just being silly and making herself paranoid... but it didn't hurt to be prepared. Just knowing she was armed again made her feel slightly better. Unsheathing the stone blade, she let it hang limply at her side as she continued her seemingly endless quest. Soon she would have to stop and rest, but not until she was certain she was well away from the Hoshidans.

The curved hilt quickly absorbed the heat from her hand, and with no gloves, the leather wrappings left her palm feeling itchy. Nerr moved to transfer it to her left hand, if only for a moment, but found her fingers stiff and unwilling to release from their death grip. Fear settled into the pit of her stomach like ice. No... no, it wasn't like at the Chasm. That was-- that had been some sort of freak accident. She was just scared, that was all. She was making herself paranoid, and was too afraid to let go of the sword, and that in turn was making her even _more_ paranoid. Laughing uneasily at her own foolishness, the princess began prying her fingers loose one by one.

     “I must be losing my damn mind...” She chuckled. With only her forefinger and thumb still gripping the sword, she changed hands. Or tried to. With no effort, or even thought on her part, her fingers once again closed over the hilt, gripping it so tightly she could hear her knuckles cracking. It felt as if the tendons in her hand were going to snap. Whimpering, she tried once again to pry them loose, fighting with her own body for control.

 

_Nerr..._

 

     “Huh?” Unwittingly turning, Nerr found herself staring down a void. No... not a void. She could see rocks within the darkness, massive crushing rocks to be battered against. She was at the Chasm- _in_ the Chasm, falling to her death again, being dragged into the darkness. Crying out in terror, she flailed her limbs widely, trying to grab onto something, anything to slow her descent. They lashed against the rocks, which felt drier and rougher than before. It was as though her arm was being pulled via a rack, pulling her with it as she stumbled- stumbled? As though she were on solid ground?- backwards. Her back collided with something, the back of her skull smashing hard into it as her spine wrenched painfully. Head spinning, the princess veered to the side and collapsed. Even though it felt as though she was pushing against something half solid that gave under her touch, all she could see was the darkness of the Chasm, the deep red tint in the edges barely noticeable through the black. Her arm was still trying to free itself from the rest of her body, and pulling her skin along with it in long strips by the feel of it. The pain was like a pike being driven into her skull, splitting it in twain and taking all sense and sensation with it.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Okay, that's one chapter down. You'll have to forgive the flow being utter shit- I took a break for a few months due to health reasons and completely forgot how to do a writing. Again, I cannot stress enough how this is directly related to “The Falling Light”, as well as “The Rising Dark”. I'm not expecting you to read both of those if you don't want to, but if you haven't and you're confused at any point, that's why. 99% of what you could be confused about will be in either of those two routes. Real action starts in the next chapter.


	2. Schizophrenia

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Ch. 2- “Schizophrenia”

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Nerr felt as though she was floating in a pool of liquid. Not water, for it was much too viscous for that. The slightest shift left her dipping beneath the surface, the chill of what lay beneath causing her to shudder.

     “--coming to--”

     “--better if--” Snippets of voices cut through the silence, like bursts of static. She tried to draw away from the source of the sounds, but her body felt leaden. Valiantly, her eyelids struggled to pry themselves apart, but they could do no more than flutter. Something draped across her forehead, cold and slimy. Whimpering, the princess fought to pull back. Gods, was she dead? Was this hell? The fear of not knowing, not seeing what instilled fear in her, was worse than any certainty. Breathing hard, wondering if she was even still alive to breathe in the first place, Nerr mustered all her strength and willpower, forcing her eyes open just a crack. She could make out nothing but colorful blurs, but even that was better than the darkness she had woken from. A bit calmer, she attempted to maneuver her body, growing ever more frustrated when it would not comply.

     “Oh! Mikoto-sama! I think she's awake now!” The voice was far less staccato noise this time, but it was unwelcome all the same. Managing to blink a few times brought her vision into clearer focus, just enough to see faces hovering over her like moons. Unable to make out any solid features, she instead focused on what she took to be hair. One figure had blue hair, like the sky before storm clouds overtook it. The other's hair was purple. Mindlessly, Nerr reached for it, a subconscious effort to take hold of something familiar in this void of strange, new horrors, but all she could manage was a weak twitch of her wrist. That tiny movement alone sent a surge of misery shooting up her arm, and she groaned weakly.

     “Oh, goodness... Nerrida... Can you hear me?” Another face, a new face, took the place of the others, black and white and gold. The Nohrian girl continued blinking hard, and each time her eyes opened the world came a bit more into focus. Slowly, she could begin to make out familiar features, or at least, familiar enough. Narrow eyes and thin lips and black hair. Nothing even remotely resembling her own...

     “Oh....” Her lips were cracked enough that the slightest utterance hurt. Her mouth tasted like blood and bile. Mikoto sighed, closing her eyes.

     “Thank the gods... I was afraid you wouldn't wake up. When I came to your room and saw you were gone again, my heart stopped. We had nearly the entire army out looking for you. You were miles away from the castle. How did you get so far on a broken ankle? Don't you know Faceless roam out there?! You could've been killed!!” The empress' words, more hysterical with each one, faded into the background, drowned out by the sounds of Nerrs' own breathing and pulse whirring in her ears. If the Hoshidan queen was here, then... she must have been back in the Hoshidan castle. No.... NO. NO! No, that wasn't possible! She had come so close! Miles away? If she'd just kept walking, they probably wouldn't have found her! The Infinite Chasm had practically been within reach! Gods above, why, _why!?_ Anger, frustration, and a soul deep sorrow coalesced within her, until her throat tightened painfully and her eyes burned.

     “Nerrida-sama? What's wrong?” A voice she did not recognize spoke to her, but she paid it no mind. A Nohrian would never show weakness, lest of all before Hoshidans, but she could not have stopped the tears leaking from her eyes if she'd been in any mind to try.

     “Nerrida?” Mikoto's voice cut through her mind like a dull knife. “What is it, dearest? Are you in pain?” The hand on her shoulder, which would have been comforting coming from anyone, _anyone_ else in the world, made her want to vomit.

     “Don't touch me, you wretched whore!” Nerr wailed. “Just kill me already! Stop toying with me and kill me! I know that's what you're going to do eventually, so just put me out of my misery, you monster...!” Paying no mind to how much it hurt, she curled into a ball, weeping openly. This was worse than Hell. This was some horrid purgatory where the only punishment was being dragged back every day to await a punishment that never came. She felt like a miserable, worthless child as she sobbed, desperately wishing Gunther, Xander, Camilla, _anyone_ would come and wake her up from this ceaseless nightmare. She could hear the Hoshidans whispering through her cries, talking about her behind her back right to her face.

     “What's wrong with her?”

     “This has to be the Nohrians' doing. They put some manner of hex on her to make her... crazy!”

     “Yuugiri, surely you don't think--”

     “What else could it be? Mikoto-sama, perhaps the throne...”

     “She won't sit on it. And in this state, she'd probably destroy the entire throne room if we tried.”

     “Stop talking about me!!” Forcing herself to sit, despite the world spinning something fierce and the nausea it brought, Nerr glared hatefully at the group of Hoshidan women. They didn't look like servants, their robes of a much finer quality than the plentiful, identical ones she had seen as she ran through the halls looking for a way out. “If you're plotting ways to execute me, then you're only making it harder for yourselves. I'm just as powerless without my head as anyone else!” The youngest of the trio, the one with purple hair, seemed affronted by her words.

     “We would never, Nerrida-sama! We only want what's best for you!”

     “That you would even think such a thing is proof that the anyan filth brainwashed you. Gods, what I wouldn't give for five minutes alone with King Garon...” The one with blue hair, who seemed even older than Mikoto if one judged solely by the lines around her lips and eyes, quickly shifted from indignation to an almost lustful look. That alone bothered Nerr more than any talk of execution methods could. Mikoto reached out a hand to her, thought better of it, and returned it to her lap. Her normally serene face looked pinched and wan. Dark bags beneath her eyes seemed to belong to a much older woman.

     “We want to help you, Nerr. _I_ want to help you. Please... let me.” Her words sounded so sincere, her eyes so imploring... Nerr's head pounded in time to her erratic pulse, and everything seemed to pinch and blur. It hurt to think. If the Hoshidans had some kind of potion to make her headache stop, she would take it. The words were on her parched tongue just as the sound of a screen sliding reached her ears.

     “Mikoto-sama, is there-- oh!” Another unfamiliar voice called out into the room, much deeper than the others. Muffled footsteps approached and she found herself looking up at a man with messy hair, thin glasses, and blue robes. He bowed deeply to Mikoto before turning to face Nerr. With his unruly hair and lopsided grin, he looked almost nonthreatening, but given that he was a Hoshidan, that didn't mean anything. “Ah, Nerrida-sama, thank goodness you're finally awake. You had us all worried.” Perhaps the aneurysm threatening to occur was visible on her face, but whatever the reason, Mikoto got to her feet, ushering the man a bit further away and speaking under her breath. Nerr could hear her even so, though the pain pulsating in her skull made it hard to concentrate on what was being said.

     “--not the best time-- still-- unwell--”

     “--ceremony-- preparations are underway-- Ryouma-sama--” Groaning, the Nohrian princess laid back down, unwilling to try and decipher what they were talking about. Undoubtedly the ceremony the empress had spoken of yesterday, the one they wanted her prominently on display for.

     “Yuugiri-san. Orochi-san. Would you go with Yukimura and see to it that the children are ready? Takumi has been out in the training yard all morning, and I worry he's forgotten what today is.” The purple haired woman jumped to her feet, energetically flipping her long straight locks over her shoulder.

     “Of course, Mikoto-sama. I may have to hunt down Oboro, but we'll get him ready.” The other woman, Yuugiri, was slower to rise, her movements much more poised and deliberate.

     “I can only assume Hinoka-sama is in the stables if she's not in the castle.” As the pair of women walked past who she could only assume was Yukimura, he made to follow them, but paused.

     “What shall I say to Ryouma-sama?”

     “I will speak with him in a moment.” Nerr paid little mind to the retreating figures of the Hoshidans, her attention fixated on the one remaining, her teeth grinding as the doors slid shut and the empress once again sat down near her. Mikoto sighed, clasping her hands in her lap. The silence would've stretched on indefinitely if it had been left up to the Nohrian princess, but the older woman spoke before it had a chance to reach that point. “How did you escape?” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but it was loud enough for Nerr to hear it. She huffed, shaking her head (as much as she could in her current state, at least).

     “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.” Her supposed mother believed a random guard who claimed they “accidentally” dropped her- as though she would believe her own son was abetting her escape. Mikoto wrung her hands together, twisting the fabric of her gown between her fingers.

     “When I went to your room last night, I thought you were dead. I saw the still broken window, and thought you had leapt to your death.” She closed her eyes, her brows drawn together, her miserable expression aging her by decades. “The entire time I searched the castle grounds, the only thought running through my head was 'this is my fault. _I_ did this'...” Nerr could feel the words on her tongue, _are_ _you expecting me to say it wasn't...?_ But tempted as she was to speak them, they would not come. Perhaps it was because, full of hokum though this woman was, she seemed to whole heartedly believe Nerr was her daughter. And, if nothing else, Nerr knew what it felt like to know _you_ were the reason someone you loved died. That pain was still raw within her; she couldn't rub salt into another's wounds, not when they were so similar.

     “Your words had no impact on me, Empress Mikoto. My actions would have been the same regardless of what you said. ...unless, of course, you had said 'you're free to return to Nohr'.” Opening her eyes which were strangely bloodshot, the older woman fixed her supposed daughter with a hard stare.

     “The question remains how you even managed those actions. You were found deep in the woods to the north, with several broken bones.”

     “What can I say? I'm a clumsy oaf.”

     “ _And_ the sword King Garon gave you. The sword that was confiscated from you. Did you just so happen to clumsily stumble upon that as well?” Nerr paused, her mind racing as she tried to think of an answer. Suddenly, she realized- it didn't matter _what_ she said. She wasn't trying to lie to her father, or Xander, or Gunther- people whose opinions of her actually _meant_ something. Emboldened, she met Mikoto's gaze.

     “Yes. Yes I did. I have the devil's luck.” The Hoshidan's face was inscrutable, her tone a blend of... something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

     “You're so much like your father...”

     “I'll choose to take that as a compliment.” Nerr refused to let herself be compared to whatever Hoshidan Mikoto was thinking of. The empress leaned back onto her calves and let her eyes slip shut once more.

     “Nerr... I will ask you once more. Who helped you escape?” She remained silent, not out of any desire to spare the irritable prince who had helped her the punishment due to someone abetting a prisoner's escape, but simply because there was no point in trying to turn this woman against her children when all it would lead to was denial and an even greater headache. “Was it the same person who gave you the idea to escape via the lake?” Despite her best intentions to remain aloof, Nerr could not hide the unease that query caused.

     “Are you mad? What are you talking about?”

     “When we found you this morning, you were closer to the lake than the mountains leading to the border. Or was that not where you intended to go?” The Nohrian girl said nothing. Even if she intended to speak, no words could describe the chill that seemed to seep into her very bones at those words. No, that had to be a lie, some kind of manipulation... but to what end? The memory of the terror from the previous night seemed to choke her like a poison. Mikoto reached out, placing her hand over the younger woman's wrist. “I can help you, Nerrida. You just have to trust me. Please... You're my daughter. I only want to help you...” For the briefest moment, the desire to just accept whatever aid she was willing to give was overwhelming. Nerr felt like a child waking from a nightmare, miserable and afraid and desperate for someone, _anyone_ , to just make it be better.

     “Mother.” Both women looked up at the deep voice coming from the other side of the door.

     “Y-yes, Ryouma?”

     “I think you'd best come out. Takumi's in one of his moods again, and... well... you know how he gets.” Mikoto sighed deeply.

     “That I do...” She muttered to herself, getting to her feet. Pausing, she looked back down at Nerr, and bit her lip slightly. “I'll be back in a moment, Nerrida. I just need to see about Takumi.” As the empress left the room, Nerr breathed a sigh of relief. Gods above, that was humiliating. To think, how close she had been to falling under the Hoshidan's spell. How could she have been so weak?

Closing her eyes for a moment, they immediately snapped open as the door slid open once more. It was not Mikoto stepping back into the room, but an all too familiar spiky being in red and white. The Nohrian girl set her jaw as Ryouma approached her, stopping only when his feet brushed against her knees- another step and he'd be standing on her (which was probably exactly what he wanted). With his arms crossed over his chest, he towered over her, his horned headdress and large hair adding several additional inches. The Hoshidan prince probably fancied himself a very imposing figure, but Nerr had spent her life looking up at tall men (and Camilla). Height alone meant nothing to her, but damned if the scowl on his face didn't add to the demonic air he seemed to cultivate. She waited for him to speak, perfectly content to continue staring at him in silence if he chose to just stand there until his mother returned.

     “How did you escape?”

     “Through the window.” Moving with unexpected speed, the prince stooped down, grabbing Nerr by the front of her blouse and pulling her to her knees.

     “The Nohrians might find your attitude clever, _sister_ , but I do not. There are rumors of Nohrian spies infiltrating the castle, and your action last night only strengthen them. Who helped you escape?”

     “Your brother, Takumi.” With a disgusted growl, Ryouma shoved her back. She winced as her sore body hit the thin cushion provided by the blankets beneath her, but gave no other sign that she was bothered by his actions.

     “What do you gain by doing this, Nerrida? Does your belligerence stem from some misguided affection for King Garon? Because believe me, he feels none for you. You are, always have been, and always will be, nothing but a pawn to that man. It's his fault you're here in the first place, sister.”

     “No, it's _your_ fault I'm here. Your little flame savage concussed me and dragged me here. You will not turn me against my people, Ryoma Sama.” Narrowing his eyes, the samurai frowned deeply.

     “Your people await you in the town square. And you _will_ show them that you have nothing to hide.”

     “I think not.”

     “I _wasn't_ asking...” Her mouth went dry as he pulled out a length of cloth from the sash he wore.

     “Wh-what are you doing...? No! Get away from me!” Injured as she was, she couldn't back away fast enough to keep him at bay.

000

The sky over Hoshido was a bright, pure azure. Not a single cloud seemed to mar it's surface, nor shadow the brilliant sun that beamed onto the land below. The air, heavily scented with spices and cooking food and perfumes, was so balmy it was hard to imagine it was already October. It seemed like something that could only exist in a novel, or a painting. It was absolute hell.

     “Lehmeh gah! Imma fugen gilyu!!” Nerr struggled against the silk scarves binding her wrists. The cloth was soft against her skin, but she had wrenching her hands this way and that for so long that the bonds had since chaffed away the skin, digging deep enough into her her flesh to draw blood which had smeared all along her arms. The youngest Hoshidan princess, Sakura, could not stop staring at the ever worsening injuries despite her best efforts not to. Every time Nerr struggled, the cloth burrowed a little deeper into her skin and the young girl cringed a bit harder. And judging by the sickly greenish tinge her complexion had turned, if she drew any more blood, the Hoshidan would pass out.

     “Euggghhh... N-nee-sama...!!” Sakura reached out to tug on the hem of Hinoka's robes. The eldest princess lead the small group of royals through the crowded avenues. She held the length of robe that connected to Nerr's bindings, leading her forward- and occasionally tugging when the Nohrian girl dug in her heels- like a dog on a leash. Though given how weak those tugs were, it seemed that she enjoyed it no more than Nerr herself did. Glancing down at Sakura, the red haired princess tried to smile, but it came across as more of a grimace.

     “What's wrong Sakura?”

     “Nerrida nee-sama! Sh-she's bleeding...! Can't you l-loosen the r-r-ropes?”

     “No.” A cold, harsh voice behind her caused Sakura to turn around while Nerr rolled her eyes. Takumi trailed behind them, glaring so hatefully at the teal haired girl she could _feel_ his eyes boring holes into the back of her skull. “Ryouma said not to loosen them. If she tries to escape again and ends up hurting the people in the square, who's fault will it be?” The young girl looked down at her feet, unwilling to answer.

     “I don't think Ryouma meant for her to be mutilated, though...”

     “I don't think your opinion matters, _Nohrian_.” He spat at Azura. To her credit, the blunette didn't seem affected by his vitriol.

     “And I don't think Mikoto-sama will much appreciate seeing her daughter in such a state. You know Ryouma didn't run this by her. At least take the gag out of her mouth.” The singer took a few quick steps forward and pulled the wadded fabric from Nerr's mouth. Gagging slightly, saliva dripping down her chin, she glared at the other woman.

     “Don't try to help me now, Hoshidan. You're just as bad as the savages you sold me out to. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you! I hope you rot in h-- urmpf!!” Her curse was cut short by the sodden rag being unceremoniously shoved back into her mouth. Takumi pushed it in much further than before, his fingers pressing down on her tongue, causing her to retch.

     “And back in it goes. You brought that on yourself, Azura.” She didn't appear too bothered by his reprimand, but a melancholy look darkened her eyes. Hinoka sighed, shaking her head slightly.

     “Come on. We don't want to keep Mother waiting.” She began walking again, but was abruptly halted as the scarf she held grew taut. Looking back over her shoulder, she frowned. “Nerrida, come on. Don't be stubborn.” The elder princess tugged slightly on the lead. Biting down on her gag hard enough to hurt her jaw, Nerr grabbed the silk and yanked it, causing Hinoka to stumble. The Hoshidan released her hold on the rope to try and catch herself, and Nerr took off. The streets were so crowded she could hardly run, her pace reduced to a brisk trot as she was knocked to and fro against the swarm of bodies. The sounds of people talking to one another and merchants hawking their goods were joined by whispers left in her wake as she passed. They were sure talking about her, though if it was because they were plotting how best to exterminate the Nohrian in their midst, or else, wondering if she was an escaped slave she did not know. It didn't matter. All that mattered was putting as much space between her and the royals. She pushed aside anyone who was in her way, paying no mind to their indignant cries.

 

_Nerr..._

 

Chills ran down her spine. Weaving faster, she tried to put as much distance between herself and the voice as possible- every time she heard it, she ended up back in the Hoshidan's grasp.

 

 _Nerr_...

 

No, she wouldn't let it- or them- catch her this time. Running faster, she panted around her gag, the balled up rag drying out her mouth and making her cough.

 

 _NERR_.

 

Fearfully, she looked over her shoulder. Nothing there but the people she had mowed down. Relief washed over her as she looked straight ahead again, a roughly carved stone blade coming inches from her eyes.

Crying out in horror, Nerr tried to backpedal, her heel slipping on the cobbled street and sending her crashing to the ground. Flames licked her feet as she desperately scrambled back, colliding with the legs of the people around her, people who were more bothered by her than the stink of stagnant water and decay. She could see Ganglari, it's thick blade a dark shadow against the flame, cut through the air to descend upon her. Crying out, tears blinding and choking her, Nerr threw her arms up and closed her eyes, not wanting to see herself split in half like she had done to the Hoshidans she fought against. She could feel the flesh on her arm split, blood spilling over her skin, but that was where the pain ended. No muscles severed, no bones shattered. The whispers grew louder, and she whimpered, curling into a tight ball, too afraid to open her eyes. What if it had just happened so fast she hadn't felt any pain? She didn't want to look down and see her corpse. A hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch.

     “Ojou-san? Are you alright?” Tentatively, she looked up. A Hoshidan in plain robes was bent over her. Others stared, whispering to one another behind their hands. Looking down at her own hands, she realized that they were no longer bound, though a deep gash on her right arm bled profusely. For a moment, she stared at her now free hands in shock, before jumping to her feet and continuing her escape. Almost as an afterthought, she ripped the gag from her mouth, throwing it to the ground. She was just going crazy, that had to be it. She'd probably pulled so hard against her bonds that they came loose. She was just imagining hellish smells and sights from stress. _Or maybe not..._ The thought scratched at her mind like a long, jagged nail.

 

 _Nerr_...

 

     “No!”

 

_Nerr..._

 

     “Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

 

_Nerrida..._

 

     “Leave me alone!” She spun around, anger overtaking fear, fully intending to fight off whatever horror lurked there with her bare hands if necessary. Stopping herself from unleashing a hay-maker, the Nohrian princess realized the face she'd been about to punch belonged to that of Empress Mikoto. The older woman sighed, though she didn't _look_ relieved.

     “Nerrida, there you are! We were worried sick! Takumi said you took off running...” She shook her head, smiling in a way that seemed painful in how forced it was. “But never mind that. You're here now. Come, come; everyone is already waiting for you.”

     “No... No!”

     “Nerrida--”

     “Get away from me!” She pushed the Hoshidan away, running again. She didn't make it far- the street had grown more congested, every square inch occupied by a body. Nerr had to crawl, weaving in and out of a forest of legs just to move forward. Finally, there seemed to be an opening. She'd probably reached the edge of the town square. Sighing, she pushed forward, stumbling out into an unoccupied space and getting to her feet. It was much larger than she had anticipated. Too large, considering how many people were still there, gathered around in a perfect circle, a border of bodies sealing off every exit. In the center, a larger statue of a serpentine dragon sat atop a pedestal, the polished white marble reflecting the unyielding sunlight like a mirror.

     “Nee-sama!” On the other side of the dragon, in the shadows cast by it's half furled wings, the Hoshidan royals (and Azura) stood apart from the crowd. Sakura waved at her her, smiling, as if she were happy to see her. The older royals' expressions were much more suitable.

     “Now that everyone's here, I believe we can begin.” The crowd parted for Mikoto as she approached the statue. Passing Nerr, she glanced at her supposed daughter, her eyes fraught with conflicting emotions. The Nohrian girl pointedly looked away, scanning the crowd for _some_ avenue of escape. There was hardly a gap left by the amassed Hoshidans, but along with there being no space, Nerr also realized that there were no soldiers. Aside from Ryoma Sama, it seemed that no one was armed, at least, no one who was close enough to do anything helpful if the need arose. Surely the empress had guards; they were always right there when she attempted to escape, so where were they all now? Was she supposed to believe that Hoshido was such a Utopian paradise that the royals didn't worry about assassinations?

     “My people, I am so glad you could join me on this most glorious of days. I know there have been rumors of Nohrian spies, but I assure you all, that is false.” Mikoto's voice rang out through the plaza, warm and motherly and reassuring. It turned Nerr's stomach. She missed Camilla, she missed the Citadel and having the sky not hurt her eyes... As she lost herself in her thoughts, the empress continued addressing her people. “No, the only thing that has come to our great land from Nohr is our long-lost daughter, Nerrida.” Whispered voices swelled, casting a low hum over the plaza as the empress turned towards Nerr. She kept her eyes averted, all the attention and noise scraping her nerves raw. Desperately, she reached for her sword, wanting _something_ familiar and comforting, but her hand only met empty air. That was right, the Hoshidans took the Ganglari from her. Again.

     “Nerrida?” She looked up on sheer instinct, to find Mikoto smiling at her. “There you are. Now isn't the time to doze off, dearest.” The princess dropped her gaze again. “Nerrida... say something. These are your subjects; for fifteen years, they've awaited your return.” Gritting her teeth, she clenched her hands into tight fists.

     “I have nothing to say to Hoshidans.” She seethed, pushing past the empress. Affronted gasps rang out from the crowd, and as she walked, determined to carve out a path, the furor increased, words like “obstinate” and “shameful” reaching her. Most of the things said were in a tongue she didn't understand, so it didn't bother her. However, one voice that was deeper than the rest caught her attention even though she didn't understand it either... and yet, she did. The harsh, sibilant words reminded her of those Lilith had spoken at the Chasm, words she could understand even if she couldn't understand them. _His will be done_ , or something along those lines. Unnerving as they were, the chill that passed through the air was what truly disturbed her. It wasn't the cold that came from night, or even winter. No, it felt as though something were taking away the heat provided by the blinding sun, reaching into her and drawing away her warmth.

Pausing, she smelled it before she saw anything, a whiff of elder magic, the scent that always enveloped Leo. In Nohr, she'd have never even noticed it because it was always there, woven into the very air she breathed. In Hoshido, with it's sterile brightness, any manner of darkness stood out immediately. It was coming from a crowd. One person stood head and shoulders over the rest of the people gathered there, a shabby cloak covering their face. They turned, looking straight at Nerr- at least, she assumed they were looking at her, as they were facing her. The hooded figure walked closer, pulling something from the depths of their cloak as they reached the forefront of the crowd. Nerr recognized the dark, curved blade as it was lifted, though she barely had time to wonder why Mikoto would've given it to someone in the audience before the stranger drove it into the ground with enough force to shatter the paving stones. Magic swelled around the blade, the deep purple and reds energy growing darker until it seemed almost black.

For one terrible moment, she felt an unbearable pressure radiating from it, as though her entire body was swelling as well, and judging by the agonized expressions on the people closest, she was not the only one feeling... _something_ wrong. Just as quickly, the pressure stopped. And everything burst. That was the only way she could describe it, the accumulating magic burst like a bubble, the resulting force shattering anything solid- the stones in the street, the stalls in the market, the limbs of those who stood too close. Dust and debris and bodies were lifted into the air, sent flying in every direction as a surge of elder magic passed through the air like a horrible ripple.

The pressure left Nerr's ears ringing, her head feeling as though it would explode as well. She barely noticed being knocked back until she hit the ground. Unconsciously, the princess climbed back to her feet, fighting against her own body to return upright, the world around her rippling and swaying uncomfortably around her. She always got up when she was knocked down- that was what she was trained to do. Unable to hear her own thoughts over the high pitched whine, she was quite oblivious to the shrapnel until it began flying in her direction. Not the sharp pieces of wood and stone that filled the air and was already scratching her exposed skin. No, the large, jagged fletchettes of obsidian. There were so many of them, whizzing by and missing her by a mere hair's breadth and some not missing at all, with even more coming. A large cluster, one that would hit _something_ vital.

Even as she stared at them, seemingly slowing down the closer they came, Nerr felt no fear. She was too dazed to feel anything at all, anything save for the hand that closed around her mangled wrist. Blinking in surprise, she felt herself being pulled, felt something warm and solid press against her. Then felt the pain. Absolute agony, setting her nerves ablaze as left her arm and shoulder burned. She could not hear herself scream, nor could she hear the scream going off against her right ear, but she could feel that one, could feel the breath and the nails digging into her back as fingers spasmed in pain. The weight against her was too much to hold up as her own body trembled in pain, and she collapsed onto the sandy dirt, the stone having been blown away in many places by the force of the blast.

Another body collapsed on top of her, and it took several blinks before her vision cleared enough to recognize Empress Mikoto's long hair- now coming undone- and white robes- quickly turning bright red. Her face, already quite pale, had blanched to an almost stark white as her eyes widened alarmingly. Nerr could feel blood gushing from her arm alarmingly unfettered, but there was also a wet heat soaking into her blouse, despite her being sure she had not been injured there. With a weak, pained grunt, Mikoto pushed herself off the younger girl, flopping onto the filthy ground beside her. Nerr glanced at the empress, taking in the gaping holes in her torso without really _seeing_ them. All she saw was the red, overtaking more and more of the queen's white robes.

     “Nerrida...” The voice sounded dim, nearly completely overtaken by the horrendous ringing, but she heard it regardless. She tore her eyes away from the gaping holes, or rather, the pulsating dark things within them. The Hoshidan woman's lips were turning gray, and when she blinked, tears cut tracks through the dust on her cheeks. “I'm sorry...” She whispered. She could have been yelling at the top of her lungs for all Nerr knew, but a faint whisper was all she could make out. “This is... my fault... I just... wanted to be a family...again...” Weakly, her arm shaking from the effort, Mikoto reached out to her daughter, brushing her cheek lightly with fingers that felt like ice. Two more strained breaths were all the empress had left, her body going slack. Her eyes remained open as her hand fell to the ground, staring blankly at Nerr.

The sight of those eyes, still looking alive even though there was no life in them, made her sick. Her head pounded in time to her heart, which itself felt like it was trying to break free of her ribcage. This wasn't what she wanted to happen. She might have despised the woman claiming to be her mother, but she never wanted her _dead_. Especially not like this, trying to keep _her_ safe from an attack caused by _her_ sword. The pain, which had been forgotten momentarily in the face of shock, was reaching a crescendo. Eager for any distraction from Mikoto's blank stare, she turned her head, trying to assess the damage. She still had an arm, she told herself. It hadn't been blown off, like the limbs of some of the people closest to the blast. Feet ran past her, a red and white blur kicking up even more dust that choked her, but even as she coughed, her eyes remained open, staring at the macerated meat beside her. If it wasn't attached to her shoulder, if she didn't see her hand at the end of it, it would've been hard to imagine it was a part of _her_.

Nerr had been injured before, many times. Usually injuries born of her own stupidity- snapping the bones in her legs clean in two jumping off the landing, crashing into a vase and having to pull pieces of porcelain from her face, frostbite for no reason other than sheer stubbornness. Training left her with cuts and sprains and broken bones, more than she could ever hope to count. But she'd never _seen_ the bone, not with only a few ragged chunks of muscle still attached to it and silvery shreds of ligament. The world flashed, like lightning, turning grayer and growing darker at the edges. Voices talking and screaming, the air was choked with the stench of blood and dust and black magic... and water. Filthy, stagnant water that turned her stomach despite it's familiarity. Groaning, she rolled a few times, managing to turn onto her stomach. Face down in the dirt, she panted, gathering her strength and pushing herself up to her knees.

All around her, death and destruction, just like at the Chasm. Only this time, she couldn't blame Hans. This was all on her, it was all because of her... if only she had made it to the Chasm, if only she had run a little further, pushed herself a little more... she would've been far away if the sword exploded then... The pain in her arm grew more intense; it felt as if the remaining skin were being stripped away across her back and chest. It hurt so badly, adding to the misery, the anger and loathing she felt towards herself rather than anyone else. _It's all your fault!_ , the princess berated herself mentally as she doubled over, dry heaving as the agony overwhelmed her. It burned. Every inch of flesh felt as though it had been flayed. Her insides were being cooked she writhed and convulsed amidst the destruction, the destruction that was ultimately _her_ fault. Everything was growing dark. She was dying, just like her father had intended.

Nerr had always thought she would die bravely and with honor on the battlefield, but in that moment, all her courage left her. Screaming louder than she ever had in her life, she felt herself rip apart. The very fiber of her being, being stretched to the breaking point. Every ligament, every piece of cartilage pulled taut and then some. She had read that occasionally, people condemned to death were rent apart by horses, running until their bodies broke into four pieces. For pieces would have been a mercy. She could feel her neck being drawn away from her shoulders, as though someone were trying to pull it off but only stretching it out. Her toes grew longer, the bones tearing through the skin, as her fingers followed suit. Never had she heard that even Hell contained such unique anguish. Lifetimes seemed to flash before her eyes while she screamed, until she could no longer do that, her jaw distorting and unhinging as her skull split, leaving her to endure her agony in silence, save for the monstrous roar deafening her within her own mind. It was too much. She willed her very soul out of existence if it meant no more pain. Suddenly, the pain ebbed, much quicker than it had come on.

Utterly exhausted, Nerr collapsed, wanting nothing more than to curl up and weep, but a voice in her head told her to stand. It was different from the one that sneered at her weakness, the one that reminded her that she, more than anyone else, deserved to die because she offered so little to the world. This voice didn't sound like her own, not even like a voice, but a feeling, an intrinsic knowledge that held more authority than her conscious thoughts. _I am above weakness_ , it reassured her, so confident that she had no choice bu to believe it. Breathing deeply, and feeling ever more calm with every breath, she pushed herself back up. The pain had completely receded from her left arm. Glancing at it revealed a silvery horror. The elongated, alien limb looked nothing like an arm. Covered in thick plates, the joint bent the wrong way, spindly fingers or toes capped in talons like knives... and yet, when when she recoiled in shock and disgust, the creature's body recoiled as well.

     “Gods above!” A voice, that may as well have been aimed directly into her ear, called out above the background chatter that had inexplicably grown louder. “What _is_ that?!”

     “It's a dragon... I never though I'd see the day...” A quieter, almost awe-filled voice followed, this one more familiar, belonging to the high prince. Nerr looked around, realizing that the people who had not yet fled or perished were all looking at her, their eyes wide, their jaws slack in fear more than awe. Breathing hard, she shook her head. No. She didn't know what they were talking about, but they were wrong. The way the looked at her, like a monster... _she_ wasn't the monster, _she_ wasn't the one who had caused all this to happen, she _wasn't_. It seemed that the Hoshidans quickly realized that as well as a series of spells detonated a few yards from them, setting the rubble of several bazaars ablaze. Ryouma whipped around, searching for a sign of the culprit, but there was none to be found. He ran over to his siblings, saying... something to them. Nerr wasn't paying attention.

There was so much water in the air, the smell was so strong she would have expected rain had the sky not been completely before. Now, the sky wasn't even visible through the haze of smoke and dust. At least, she assumed it wasn't. She couldn't actually see any blue. Or white. Or anything that wasn't gray and a darker gray. A flash of color, so brief she almost didn't register it, flickered across her periphery, and she whipped her head around to follow it. Her stomach dropped at the sight of leathery wings, twitching slightly as she shuddered. There was little time to wonder what kind of curse she'd been afflicted with this time as the air shimmered and something sharp hit her between the shoulder blades. Turning her body around took more effort than she was used to, but she managed to catch sight of... something... charging towards her. She could barely make out what it was, but she definitely smelled it. It was the same stagnant smell that had preceded the Ganglari cutting her in the square, the same stench that surrounded the monster who had caused all this destruction.

Rage, incomprehensible fury filled her and she let loose a battle cry that sounded like a rabid beast as she met her attacker head on. With no sword, with no proper hands, she didn't know how she was going to attack, but there was no time to think as she lowered her head, ramming into the figure. She felt blood, cold and lacking the metallic tang she expected, sprinkle across her face. Up close, she could see the... creature better. It _looked_ human; it had a face (somewhat) and stood upright- she could even make out bits of cloth and what looked like armor, but... it couldn't be. She could see right through it, could see the long curled horns skewering it. Flames (at least, it _looked_ like fire though it gave off no heat) that consumed the beings' lower body flickered and died out as the gelatinous mass quivered and melted, it's foul-smelling fluids splashing over her. There was no body like when she had killed the Hoshidans at the border, no evidence of what she'd done, no blood staining her hands... only the blood leaking out from the piles of rubble. Only the blood pooling under the empress' body, soaking into the dirt.

Nerr panted, her muscles shaking uncontrollably in her disgust, her fury, as she caught whiff of an even stronger fetor almost overpowering the iron in the air. There were more of those... _things_ , crawling out from the corners of the square, like rats waiting to feast on a carcass. They carried rusted swords and mildewed tomes, ready to attack. How long had they been there, biding their time before they began cutting down civilians? Hoshidans true, but civilians nonetheless. Innocent people... Runes illuminated the air, their light catching on the dust particles as one of the monsters set to cast a spell, but Nerr couldn't appreciate it as she charged into the thickest collection of them, trampling some underfoot as others moved away quickly enough to avoid her furious thrashing. The way they moved was alien, sliding while they ran, not like humans on a slick surface, but rather slugs pulling themselves along, their limbs bending at places other than the joints as they swung their swords against her. She barely felt the jagged metal against her legs, but kicked back even so. One of the monsters compressed as it hit the ground, rising up like foam on a lager only to have it's upper half burst as a thick iron club smashed through it's chest. The gelatinous remains on the ground sizzled a bit as they pooled around the Fire tribalists' foot, sending up thin wisps of steam. Clad in at least more, if not fancier clothes, Rinkah looked just as vicious as she had in Krakenburg.

     “What the hell are _these_ things? Some new monstrosity Nohr cooked up?” In the middle of her inquiry, another one charged at her, it's dagger snapping in half as it met her weapon, it's head splashing onto her robes as the tribalist bashed it in. A few feet away, the green-haired ninja that always seemed to accompany her was busy slitting one with a tome from throat to groin, it's watery insides sloshing onto the broken stones below. His brows drew together in confusion even as he whirled around, raking the dagger across another ones' throat, it's head nearly falling off.

     “I've never seen anything like this in Nohr. I've never even _heard_ of anything remotely similar.”

     “Argh, who care what they are? Faceless can't stop us, and these things sure as Hell won't be able to!”

Despite her bravado, the oni was still taken by surprise as another being slithered behind her, rising up and lashing at her back with a rusty, curved blade. She was knocked to the ground, managing to roll away before the sword was brought down, the brittle metal snapping in two as it met the stone. It shuffled closer, it's sword more of a dagger at this point, but still more than enough to cause damage. It had barely taken more than two steps, however, before a high, trilling note filled the air. Nerr shook her head violently- it was like an auger in her ears. Apparently, she wasn't alone in her distaste of it, as the monstrous creation shuddered violently, water sloughing off it's surface before it fell apart, leaving naught but a muddy puddle. The haunting sound stopped at once, just as Azura ran up to them, a trembling Sakura trailing in her wake. The blunette's once pristine dress was covered in mud, her skin faring no better.

     “These are _not_ like the Faceless. Approaching them like they are will only get you killed.” Suzukaze pulled Rinkah to her feet, turning to the princess.

     “Azura-sama, you're familiar with these monsters?”

     “Familiar enough to know they can _think_.” She muttered darkly, reaching down and grabbing the splintered haft of a lance. Given the way she gripped it, it was obvious she'd never wielded a weapon in any defensive capacity, which made her grabbing it that much more concerning. “They can overwhelm us easily. We need to get to the others. Ryouma is fighting a strong one.” Her words were grim, more than a bit of fear underlying them.

Nerr had stopped listening to them a few moments earlier, her attention focused on a several of the abominations climbing over the rubble that walled in the ruined square. They must have been trying to follow what survivors managed to flee, to spread the destruction that had washed over this once lively place. Screaming her fury, the Nohrian girl charged at them, wishing she had a sword- and hands- wanting to cleave them in twain the way she had trained to. She always assumed she would spend her days until the time came to overtake Hoshido cutting down bandits and slavers, the scourge of the earth that plagued Nohr. Her mind didn't make the distinction that it was essentially Hoshidans she now tore through these beasts for. In that moment, she cared not for the divide of the continent, only for the innocent lives that resided on it, so cruelly snuffed out. Her father would never have embroiled any civilians in a battle, she told herself, shaking off a fireball to the face as she gored it's caster. They would never harm the smallfolk, they would never let _this_ happen.

A resounding clang of metal preceded a sharp crack of lightning. The air rumbled, the thunder nearly palpable it was so close, and she looked up, whatever putrid offal that filled the watery beings dripping from her face. She could see Prince Ryouma, recognizable only by his long hair, locking swords with a hulking figure draped in dark robes. Thin bolts of lightning arced across his blade, the thin curvature of it leaving a bright trail as he slashed wildly at the mysterious figure. Each blow was effortlessly dodged or parried with a shorter, corroded sword. As he grew ever more infuriated with each miss, so too did the Hoshidan man grow sloppy, his swings becoming much too wide. It cost him, the hooded being knocking his sword aside and delivering a hard kick right to the prince's gut. As Ryouma reeled, his foe struck him across the chest. The armor he wore dented sharply, the force of the blow knocking him to the ground. He groaned, curling around his injury as the hulking figure drew closer to him, raising his sword up high.

Before it could bring the blade down, a massive blur slammed into it, sending the mysterious swordsperson flying. With nimble, if not unnaturally felid twisting, the being landed on their feet, one hand bracing them on the shattered paving stones. Like a shot, they took off, charging at back towards her. Nerr ran at the monster, fully intending to meet this unholy abomination head on. This was all because of it... not her, she tried to convince herself. Before she could reach it, it leapt upwards, flames engulfing it as it slashed at her face. Under any other circumstances, she'd have tried to shield herself, but that was impossible when she no longer had free use of her arms. It mattered little, thankfully.

The blade hit her hard against the forehead and she could hear a cracking, akin to a cleaver striking a bone, but felt none of the sharpness that came with a sword's cut. It was akin to pressing her skin against the blade, uncomfortable but nothing crippling. She snapped at it's shadowy body, biting deep into flesh that was more substantial than that of the other monsters but still almost jelly-like. The revolting watery contents trickled down her throat, chilling her from the inside out. The being shuddered, limp in her jaws at first, but slowly rising up. Nerr couldn't see under it's hood; it was too dark with her monochromatic vision, but at the same time, the darkness there was too flat. There was no variation in that indicated facial features, just a... void of shadow. Despite her not seeing a mouth, the monster made a dry, monotonous sound that almost sounded like a laugh.

     “Heh. Heh. Heh.” The very notion that this, this... _thing_ could be mocking her sent her heart pounding in anger, and with a muffled roar, Nerr slammed the watery creature into the ground, again and again, waiting for it to pop like a bladder. It never did, and when she released it, her head spinning fiercely as she struggled to keep her balance, it rose to it's feet. Not picking itself up like a human, no. Simply... rising. Like the snakes she'd heard could be charmed by a skilled flautist. Holding her breath, the princess waited for it to lunge at her, but the attack she anticipated never came. It stood there for a moment longer, still making that raspy chuffing sound that grated her ears as water dripped from the hems of it's robe, only a few drops at first, but then a steady stream. All at once, it's corporeal form gave out, collapsing to the ground in a splash, leaving only sodden black cloth behind. Nerr stared, watching as even the puddle began drying up, the fibers of the cloak disintegrating along with it, until there was nothing left... nothing but the destruction that had been wrought.

In one fell swoop, Hoshido had been dealt a blow worse than what Nohr had been able to do for decades. And it was because of her. She'd gotten her wish; she'd aided the glory of Nohr... the glory... the glory of dead children and orphans and horrors for those that never even set foot on a battlefield. She'd brought death to those that didn't deserve it... all because she didn't get off a bridge fast enough. Throwing her head back, Nerr screamed, thrashing about, a child having a fit. It wasn't fair, wailed in her head, paying no mind to the sharp rocks and other rubble bruising her as she knocked against it in her pique. She wanted to be a soldier, to fight for her country with honor, against those who felt the same as she. Orphans would be made on the battlefield, but never, _never_ would she have been complicit in making them as those children spent the day with their families. Every man, woman and child that lay around her, some crushed beneath heavy stones and wood, others laying in pieces; she may as well have burst into their homes and cut them down while they slept.

She felt no tears flow from her eyes, but wept regardless. Over the din of sorrow in her mind, she heard something faint, waves breaking against the shores of her mind, intrusive and unwelcome. Turning, she noticed (with more than a hint of disdain) Azura approaching her. Her arms were held aloft, a twisted mockery of one proffering a gift to some higher power. The pendant around her neck glowed, it's light bouncing off the tiny droplets of water that danced in the air surrounding the princess. It was a beautiful scene, something straight out of a fairytale. Juxtaposed against the backdrop of destruction and death made it even more vulgar, more disgusting, in Nerr's mind.

 

 _“_ _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

That was the same song Azura had sung at the lake, all those days ago. She had been so caught up in her own world that she probably wouldn't have even noticed the Nohrian princess if she hadn't stopped to listen. She could've escaped unnoticed, had it not been for that wretched song... ' _Shut up...!_ _'_ Nerr screamed at her, the words garbling on her tongue, resulting in a choked gurgle, like that of a dying animal. ' _Shut up!!_ _'_ The lazuline girl did not take the hint, continuously approaching, raising her arms higher as she came closer, as though she meant to reach out and touch her. The Nohrian princess skittered away. ' _Stop it!_ _'_ Behind her, she could hear a deep voice groaning, metal scraping against the stone. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Ryouma had gotten to his feet, nearly falling back over as he struggled to stay upright. Clutching his chest, he took an unsteady step forward.

     “Azura... stay back... it's dangerous...!” ' _It's_ _**dangerous**_ ', Nerr repeated in her mind. No, ' _ **she's**_ _dangerous_ ' was what he meant to say, which was why they wanted to keep her locked up, hexed into submission, why they only paraded her around when she was bound and gagged and couldn't hurt them or their people... why they wouldn't let her go home. Rage built inside her, like a boiling kettle, shaking as it agitated. Turning, she towered over the Hoshidan prince, lashing out at him. She'd show him “dangerous”. She never reached him, however, a wall of water erecting between them, it's surface as impervious as stone. She was certain she'd broken the bones in her hand as she struck it's unyielding surface, the wall crashing to the ground in a shallow wave the moment she backed away from whatever foul magic had caused it. The haunting melody continued behind her.

 

     “ _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

This was _her_ doing. Azura. She was stopping her from leaving. _Again._ That was no mere song, it had to be some kind of spell, some eldritch magic intent on keeping her in Hoshido. Even now, she could feel herself getting weaker, her anger turning to fear, to hopelessness, and all because of that damnable song (it had to be, it _had_ to!). Turning back to face the other woman, she noted that she was smiling slightly. Pleased that whatever unholy power she wielded was working.

 

     “ _Yet the waters ever change--_ ”

 

' _SHUT!!!! UP!!!!'_ Nerr screamed at the top of her lungs, the animal noises coming from her mouth terrifying her more than the implacable singer drawing ever closer. Desperate to keep her away, she struck at her, long sharp claws meeting with pale, fragile skin. With a cry that sounded born from shock more than pain, Azura hit the ground. Hard. The way her skull bounced when it hit the stones, the way she remained incredibly still afterwards- it was little wonder the youngest Hoshidan royal began sobbing when she saw it. For one long, horrible moment, Nerr couldn't breathe. Had she just killed this girl? She even intended to; she was just trying to make her shut up. Slowly, Azura shifted, rolling onto her side, every movement earning a grunt of pain. She was alive. She was getting up. She would return to the Hoshidans and stay away and not try to stop her again.

 

 _“Flowing like time..._ ”

 

A chill ran up Nerr's spine as the haunting melody began anew. The air grew damp as water surrounded both her and the songstress, a shower that encircled them, a gently swirling vortex. She looked around frantically, trying to find a gap she could force herself through, but there wasn't one. She was trapped. Again. Azura was looking right at her, smiling, in the way one might try to smile at a stray animal. Her voice was quiet, a hoarse whisper, but she still sang.

 

     “ _The path is... yours to climb_ \-- Argh!!”

 

She hit the ground again, fingers like iron bars wrapped around her throat, not squeezing but holding her still. It would be so easy to squeeze... To just snap her neck... Nerr could feel her throat tense as the other woman whimpered. Even that tiny nearly inaudible sound raised her hackles. She lowered her face, nearly touching Azura's. She could see the long blue hair moving as she huffed in frustration. _'Shut up... just shut up; why can't you_ _ever_ _shut up...!?'_ Her pendant still glowed, illuminating the singer, her pale skin even more unnatural when lit from beneath. Azura reached up, her hands tiny and weak as they closed over Nerr's wrist.

     “Kill me if you want, but... do it as yourself...” Blinking, tears spilled from her eyes, running down the sides of her face and dripping into her hair. Just watching her cry, watching her try and play the victim, made Nerr want to throttle her.

 _'I AM myself...!'_ She screamed, the words mutilated by her lack of lips. She was everything the Hoshidans hated, everything destructive and dangerous about Nohr, and yet they _still_ wouldn't let her leave. They wouldn't let her try to spare them the horrors that followed her, so why not just give them what they expected from her? She could be evil... She could... kill civilians... children... Nausea welled up within her. _Nohrians are no savages. We do not take innocent life,_ Xander had told her so long ago. He would know; he was the epitome of a Nohrian knight. He would be so disgusted if he saw this, if he saw _her_ , allowing her emotions to get the better of her yet again. Shaking more than she cared to acknowledge, Nerr pulled her hand away, pressing it flat against the stone to try and still it. Azura curled onto her side, coughing slightly. She could have killed her; she almost did, on a whim. She almost proved the Hoshidans right about Nohrians. About her.

Whimpering, she lowered her head, a sharp stabbing behind her eyes as she curled into herself. Her muscles deflated and bones ground themselves down, leaving skin hanging loosely before it too shrank along with the rest of her form. It burned as it gathered tightly. Everything burned, her scalp especially feeling as though it had been set aflame as something hard snaked back into her skull, scraping against her nerves even as her hair fell, covering the gashes she could feel on her forehead. Even laying prone on the ground, keeled over on her hands and knees, was too much given how exhausted Nerr was. Eyes closed, the ground below her spun and swung fiercely, and breathing hard, the princess collapsed onto her side. Her skull was splitting in half- she could feel _something_ running down her face, be it blood or sweat she knew not. All she was certain of was the pressure growing stronger, stronger- something heavy pushing against her brain, it felt as though it could burst out from behind her eyes... and just as suddenly as it came, it went away. The pain, the pressure, it was all gone. Leaving her skull empty and her limbs weak. Panting, she tried to collect her thoughts, tried to ignore the faint hiss of a whisper, the murky shadows playing behind her eyelids...

 

_She had been on the ground, cleaner than the one she was on now, though not by much. It was dark, Nohr dark, and someone stood in front of her. A man, with long, wild hair. He grunted in pain as arrows flew past her, some hitting the stone walls of the building surrounding them, the sharp little flecks of stone cutting her as they hit. With a tortured groan, the man in front of her dropped down to one knee, sinking his sword into the ground and leaning on it in a vain attempt to stay upright. Her father... she knew it was her father because she remembered wanting to run to him, to cry out, 'papa!!' and hide in his long robes, away from all the scary things. But she couldn't move, she was too afraid._

_A deep voice grew louder as a huge man, wearing strange black armor and carrying an enormous ax, approached her father. He said something about being disappointed, but she couldn't listen, she was too busy looking at the thick blade gleaming in the faint torchlight, at the blood dripping on the stone. The scary man raised his ax and swung it. Nerr tried to look away, but it was too late. She had seen the blood spray over the walls, had seen her father fall to the ground with a loud, gurgling cry. He was still, so still, occasionally twitching slightly... Blood pooled around him, sinking in between the paving stones. Tears blurred her vision, burning her eyes as they fell hard and fast down her cheeks._

_“You poor thing...” The voice was suddenly so close that she hurt her neck turning to face it. The scary man now stood next to her, and there was no one in between them now. He looked so much older than her father, his face ashen and lined with deep wrinkles. His beard was longer too, and snowy white, just as his hair was, though both were flecked with bright red blood. It ran down his armor in thick rivers, barely visible against the black. She tried backing away from the huge, scary man, but it was no good- he was too fast, standing over her before she could even think to run. His lips were pulled up, but it didn't look like a smile. It reminded her of seeing a dog bare it's teeth, growling and snarling._

_“Orphaned at such a.... tender, young age... You are MY child now...” he reached down, and everything went black._

 

     “Are you alright, Nerrida?” She shut her eyes tightly, wishing she could cover her ears as well but too exhausted to move. She could feel her eyes burning as the tears made their way down her cheeks. How could she bear to let the Hoshidans see her crying? How could she let them know they were right? Gods, why did they have to be right? That was the worst thing of all. Nerr choked out a sob through her tightened throat. Faint, blurry memories fluttered about in her mind, remnants of things long forgotten and things that she wished still were. Being held tenderly by a woman who wasn't her sister, a dark haired boy frowning at her as a red-haired girl smiled... a darkness that held pain and loneliness and a soul deep misery... Mikoto had gotten her wish after all. She finally believed that the Hoshidan woman was her mother. She hoped the empress' spirit thought the unhappiness, anger, confusion and doubt was worth it, because she most certainly didn't.

     “Nerr? Are you alright?” Azura asked again, her voice closer to Nerr's ear, her inquiry housing more concern as the silence dragged on. Her fists clenched, the dust beneath her hands working it's way under her nails, mingling with the congealing blood already there.

     “Oh gods... why? Why...?” She whispered, her throat tight and painful. A tentative hand touched her shoulder, cautious and uneasy, as though they were petting a dog that could snap at any second.

     “Don't blame yourself for this. It-it wasn't you. _This_... it wasn't you.” What wasn't her; the person witnessing the execution in her memory? Forcing her stinging, swollen eyes open, Nerr glanced up. Azura's face was covered in dust and mud, the blood crusting a long deep gash just under her eye, but aside from that, she looked mostly unscathed. The Nohrian's stomach dropped at the sight of it, though a scathing _She brought it on herself_ resounded in her mind nonetheless. That attack had most certainly been her, monster or not. Breathing hard, she rolled over onto her back, and raised her left arm. In the brown, murky light, she could see that it now bent the right way again. Where before there had been stringy meat handing off the bone, now the flesh had regrown, darker and rougher than usual, but intact. Flexing her fingers, the afterimage of blood soaked claws flashed in her mind, and she suppressed a shudder.

     “What happened? Wh-what's wrong with me?” Nerr hated how uncertain, how weak she sounded. She remembered the agony she'd felt at the Infinite Chasm, the feeling that she was burning alive and being torn asunder. The same sensation she'd felt as she'd fallen from the top floors of the Hoshidan castle mere days ago. Was she losing her mind? Dying from some horrible illness? Azura frowned, getting to her feet and trying to brush the dust from her torn dress. She failed miserably. The once pristine white had become a disgusting, splotchy brown.

     “It must be due to the blood of the ancient dragons that runs through your veins.” Nerr shook her head, frowning deeply.

     “That doesn't make any sense. That's the birthright of _all_ royals. My siblings don't turn into dragons...” She paused, suddenly realizing that the people she called family weren't actually related to her. “Are Hoshidan royals manaketes?”

     “No.” Both women jumped, unaware that Ryouma had come to. He sat up, despite Sakura's best efforts to keep him laying down. He had removed his cuirass, the dent undoubtedly pressing painfully against his sternum. The silk robes he wore under it were covered in gashes and stains where the blood had begun to dry. The prince's faceplates had come loose, and Nerr could see ugly purple bruises forming around his eyes as he looked at her. “As long as I have known, there have been no actual dragons in our bloodline since the Dawn Dragon himself gave our ancestors his blood. As far as I'd known, manaketes were long extinct.”

     “Not extinct enough!” Turning towards the direction of the voice, she noticed Takumi clambering over the piles of rubble. His long hair had come loose, and the sleeve on his right arm seemed to have been burned away. He panted as he stumbled over the debris. Azura attempted to steady him, but the moment she reached out, he slapped her arm away hard enough for her to hiss in pain. Despite the fatigue and pain clear on his face, his eyes held nothing but contempt as he glared at Nerr. “This is _your_ fault... _All_ of this is your fault...”

     “Takumi,” Ryouma said firmly. “If you're going to appoint blame, level it with the right person. This is King Garon's doing. He must have planned this from the beginning--”

     “No, it's _her_ fault!” The younger man raised his voice, pointing at the still prone princess with a shaking finger. “Everything that happened here- all the death, all the destruction, our Mother--” He choked on his words, his voice breaking as more tears made their way down the trail already cut through the grime on his face. “All of this is because _she_ just had to show up on our doorstep!”

As Takumi's voice echoed through the deathly silent square, a chorus of voices, those of the soldiers and townspeople who had not been killed by the blast or the monsters, those who remained to try and pull victims out from the rubble, rose up in agreement. Nerr sat up, looking around. Beyond the shattered marble slabs and broken poles, beyond the pools of blood oozing out from under them and the pieces of flesh strewn amongst them, she could see the hazy outlines of people through the gloom. She could feel them staring at her, their gazing blaming her for what happened. Fury rose within the princess. She knew this was her fault... but she'd be _damned_ if she let Hoshidans of all people tell her that.

     “Excuse me...? I ' _showed up on your doorstep_ _'_?” She leveled her glare at Takumi, matching his loathing if not exceeding it as she climbed back to her feet. “ _That's_ what you think happened? That I _wanted_ to be in this hellhole? I didn't--” She could barely hear herself speak as the whispered from all around her grew louder, a litany of voices all leveling complaints about her, _to_ her.

     “It was a bad omen.”

     “She showed up in Nohrian armor...”

     “This was all planned from the start!”

     “You murdered our Empress!”

     “Anyan bitch!”

Nerr looked around, trying to find the person insulting her, but that was an impossible task when the insult were hurled from every direction. Ryouma attempted to silence the crowd, but their anger only increased, some of them approaching the tiny clearing where the royals were gathered. She shook her head, aghast, incredulous.

    “No... no, shut up... shut up! SHUT UP!!!” She shrieked at the top of her lungs, momentarily silencing the mob. “Shut up! I didn't do this! I didn't come to your savage country! I was attacked and brought here through no will of my own! Why the fuck would I have kept trying to leave if I showed up here of my own volition!? Why would I have tried to escape again _today_ if I wanted to kill your empress!? Tell me why!?” For all of a moment, one could've heard a pin drop in the heavy silence. And just as quickly as it had come, it was broken once more.

     “Nohrian lies!”

     “This is her fault!”

     “Execute her!”

     “That is enough!” The high prince roared. “Enough of this! What you say is treason! You would conspire to kill a member of the Hoshidan royal family!?”

     “She's no Hoshidan!” Takumi screeched, his face livid. “She's one of them! Her and Azura both! I say kill both of them and send their heads back to Nohr as a warning!” The crowd cheered and applauded. Sakura trembled as she clutched her staff, running over to Azura to cower behind her legs. The songstress rubbed her back soothingly, before turning her attention to Takumi.

     “Takumi, listen to yourself speak. Do you really think _this_ is how your mother would want you to behave?”

     “I think my mother wouldn't want to be _dead_ , you Nohrian bitch! And don't you ever, _ever_ speak my name again!”

     “You're all going crazy!” Hinoka climbed over the rubble with muh more ease than Takumi, though her legs and arms were riddled with bruises. The scarf she had worn was gone, and when she looked at her younger brother, there was definite anger in her eyes. “Nerrida and Azura just helped us defeat those Nohrian soldiers. Nerrida helped save Sakura and I when we were cornered by Faceless just a week ago. If there was some massive plot to destroy Hoshido, why wouldn't they just sit back and let it happen?”

     “They _did_ let it happen!!” He screamed back at her. “Our mother is _dead!_ Shirasagi is in ruins! Don't you understand; Hoshido is vulnerable now! Now, there's nothing stopping the Nohrians from coming in and slaughtering us like dogs!”

     “Oh gods!” Sakura squeaked, shaking violently. “H-h-he's right! Without Mother's barrier, w-w-w-w-” Her stuttering devolved into rapid hyperventilation.

     “That _won't_ happen.” The high prince's voice was firm with belief and self confidence. He stood even straighter, addressing his people. “Regardless of what the Nohrian savages might throw at us, we will not fall. Try as they may, they will not break our spirit, and they will not break US!” While Ryouma rallied his people, Takumi used his distracted mind to approached Nerr. She stiffened, refusing to back down despite being unarmed. The Hoshidan prince was a bit shorter than her, reminding her how Leo used to be.

     “You were supposed to leave.” He hissed at her, in a whisper so quiet only she could hear it.

     “What the hell do you think I was trying to do!? Your empress brought this on herself. If she had _let_ me leave, she'd still be alive right now.” Takumi's eyes widened, shock stunning him for a moment, before rage and hatred overtook it once more.

     “Shut your lying whore mouth! Don't you _dare_ speak that way about my mother!!” He screamed at her, pulling what seemed to be a long bow carved of bone from his back. There was no string, and he carried no arrows, but he could definitely use it to bludgeon her. Nerr raised her arms at once, exhausted and in no mood to fight, but more than willing to choke the Hoshidan before her if push came to shove (his hair would make for a good ligature). Fortunately, she was spared from any fisticuffs by another person jogging up to them.

     “Please... stop!” They both looked at the blue haired man, doubled over and resting his hands on his knees as he panted. Yukimura looked up at them, his hair coming loose as well, his glasses caked in dust, the lenses cracked. “How can you two think of fighting now, when your people are looking to you for guidance? This is not what Mikoto-sama would've wanted.”

     “How dare you...?” Takumi turned his anger towards the older man. “How _dare_ you tell me what my mother would've wanted!? She would've wanted her people to be safe from the Nohrians who are trying to murder them! She would've to watch her children grow up! She would've wanted to actually _live_ , dammit!” His anger seemed to reach a tipping point, where it imploded in on itself and gave way to abject misery. Turning away, the young prince covered his face, though he could not entirely stifle his sobs, nor keep his shoulders from shaking. Hinoka approached him, and he allowed himself to collapse onto her shoulder. Yukimura sighed deeply, reaching up to adjust his glasses.

     “...you're right. Mikoto _would_ have wanted to live. But knowing that she couldn't, she would hardly want her children to turn on one another like animals. I can only imagine her chastising you all for letting your fear and anger overtake your rational thought.” For the first time, Ryouma seemed to notice the commotion going on behind him.

     “What are you talking about, Yukimura-san? Did Mother say something to you?”

     “Mikoto-sama confided to Yuugiri, Orochi and myself that she knew she was going to die.” He confessed, his voice thick with emotion. “Perhaps it was a vision from the gods. Perhaps she knew Garon was done biding his time... Gods... I didn't think she meant _today..._ I thought there was more time...” He whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Inhaling sharply, he turned towards Nerr. “Regardless of what anyone says, Nerrida-sama, this is not your fault. Your mother knew that, and I'm certain everyone here knows it as well.” Perhaps he was trying to comfort her, but his words only settled in the pit of her stomach like a rock. Hearing that her mother anticipated death but did nothing to stop it didn't make her feel better. If anything, it made her feel worse; not guilty... just angry.

     “In our grief and anger, we have allowed ourself to be blinded, not only to our empress's wishes, but even to our surrounding. Has no one noticed the statue in the square?” Hinoka frowned at his words.

     “It's ruined. What of it?”

     “Take a closer look.” Unable to stop herself, Nerr craned her neck back to look at the demolished monument in the town's center. The coiled dragon had been obliterated, leaving nothing but dust and pieces of rubble strewn around, but the base remained mostly intact. And at it's apex, embedded deep within the pearly marble, was a shining blade. Not the silvery hue of steel, or even the darkness of iron, but a golden sheen that reminded her of the copper pots in the kitchen of the Citadel.

     “A sword...? Is that honestly a fucking sword?” She asked aloud, unable to hide her disbelief.

     “No, it can't be...” Ryouma whispered, his voice oddly revenant. She was inclined to agree; the whole thing looked like it had been created by someone who had no idea what swords were made for. The pommel was pronged, the hilt was uneven, and there seemed to be gems embedded int the blade itself. The blade! More to the point, it was driven point first into the stone. Even if the rest of the statue had a cavity to somehow allow a weapon to reside within it, the blade must have been dulled beyond belief, if it hadn't just broken off entirely.

     “Indeed it is. It must be! The divine Yatogami.” The Hoshidan tactician approached the statue. Nerr scoffed under her breath. How could he even _see_ the damned thing, let alone know what it was, unless everyone knew the sword had been waiting in the statue all this time, in which case, why would Ryouma be confused? “Much like your Raijinto, Ryouma-sama, and your Fuujin Yumi, Takumi-sama.. Even your Amaterasu, Hinoka-sama. I've heard there are other divine weapons, but I'm afraid I don't know much about them. But I _have_ heard much about the Yatogami. Only one may wield it, one chosen by the blade itself- chosen to bring peace to our world.” The Nohrian princess laughed aloud despite herself, barely noticing the stares (and glares) directed at her.

     “A sword in a stone? That's a legendary weapon? That can only be held by ONE person... and that person is a hero who's destined to save the world!? I didn't think it was possible to hit on _every_ fairytale cliché. Let me guess; the Hero also has a fairy godmother that saves him from his evil stepmother so he can save the princess from a dragon and live happily every after?” Yukimura leveled her with a wry stare.

     “An ironic complaint, coming from the very type of dragon you're mocking. Myths are passed down through the generations for a reason, after all...” Quickly, she was forgotten as the Hoshidan royals began speaking amongst themselves, wondering what to do about their silly, dull fairytale sword. Why did it appear now, who was the chosen one, how to get it down. It took a moment, but Nerr soon realized that no one was paying attention to her. She was free, no walls or bindings or injuries to stop her. This was her chance. Slowly, with surgical precision, she began backing up, careful not to cause too much noise with the rubble, despite sharpened rocks digging painfully into her bare feet. She just had to get out of the square, and then she could run. All it would take was another fifteen or so feet. Holding her breath, she continued backing away, her heart lurching as she bumped into another person. Turning quickly, she noticed Azura. The songstress frowned at her.

     “Where are you going, Nerrida?”

     “None of your fucking business. Now move.” The other princess hissed. Trying to walk around the blunette, she was stopped by a small hand grabbing her arm.

     “Nerrida... Nerr, please. Don't run again. I need to speak with you--”

     “You need to let go before you lose that hand.”

     “Nerr, listen to me!”

     “No!”

As she argued with the singer, trying to get away from her without accidentally killing her, a collective cry of panic rang out behind them. Without thinking, Nerr looked back to the crowd, and immediately wished she had just run. The sword, whatever the Hoshidans had called it, was no longer sunk within the stone. The air around it shimmered as it rose higher. No sooner than her eyes landed on it did the blade catapult towards her, turning over and over as it gained speed, audibly cutting through the air with a loud whistle. It would take her head off, send it flying with an arc of blood that would look very dramatic if she wasn't dead. Crying out, Nerr threw herself to the ground, imagining the whirlybird of death arcing and coming back to seek her out regardless of where she was. It didn't need to, though. It didn't even fly over her. The crack sounded like lightning as the sword met the paving stones at her feet, coming so close that she could feel the splinters broken off hit her legs. Breathing hard, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs, she looked back over her shoulder. The sword stood before her, driven so deeply into one of the few remaining paving stones that it had split it in half.

     “Wh-what's happening?” Sakura asked fearfully. The eldest royal shook his head slightly.

     “The blade has chosen Nerrida!” He sounded stunned, awed. Takumi looked between his brother and Nerr, shaking his head as well, though his expression was far from awe.

     “Bullshit! The Yatogami wouldn't choose a filthy Nohrian to wield it!”

     “Takumi!” Paying no mind to his siblings, he stomped over to where the sword stood innocuously. With a deep scowl, he reached out, grabbing the hilt and pulling. Despite being lodged in no more than a foot of dirt, the blade did not move.

     “What the--?” Redoubling his efforts, the prince continued pulling, trying harder and harder to pull the sword free and failing to even budge it. “What the hell is wrong with this thing?!”

     “It didn't _choose_ you, Takumi.” Ryouma explained as he approached. “It chose Nerrida.”

     “Oh, no.” Scrambling to her feet, the princess quickly stepped back. “Nothing chose me. I'm not chosen.”

     “Yes, you are!” The high prince snapped, his calm facade falling away, revealing the angry, cold man Nerr had become all to familiar with over the last week. “Stop trying to go against us, Nerrida! You kept claiming you weren't Hoshidan, and you were wrong. You kept claiming Nohr is innocent, and you were wrong about that as well. You _saw_ the Yatogami chose you, and even now, you deny it!” Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly enough that she could feel her bones twist. “It's time to accept the truth.” He said, pulling her hand towards he hilt.

     “No! No, let me go! I don't want to!!” Struggling to pull her hand free, she was not quick enough, and Ryouma succeeded in forcing the awkwardly shaped hilt into her hand.

As though her hand had a mind of it's own, she wrapped her finger around it, and lifted the golden blade with ease. It was lighter than the swords she trained with, and more balanced than Ganglari. Even if it was dull, it would have been a lovely centerpiece, with the deep red carbuncles set within the blade, but with just a slight glance, she could see that the edge was as finely honed as if it had only just been forged. While she normally enjoyed having a weapon in her hand, it disgusted her now. Shuddering, Nerr made to throw the blade back on the ground, but was distracted by the sight of a group of Hoshidan soldiers climbing over the rubble. They appeared too pristine to have been caught in the blast. Suzukaze approached them, and the apparent began speaking to him animatedly. Recoiling before collecting himself, he nodded and as they left, he ran over to Ryouma, kneeling before him.

     “Ryouma-sama. I'm afraid disconcerting news comes from the border. It appears Nohrian soldiers are appearing there en masse.”

     “What?!”

     “Judging by the size of their calvary, they could reach the capital in a day.”

     “Filthy beasts! They don't even _try_ to hide what they've done, waiting in the wings after our empress' death like vultures! No... this is the final straw. I have worked long and hard to avoid all-out war, but now... Death is too good them. Who's with me?!” A cheer arose, but Nerr could barely hear it. Nohrians were coming. For a brief moment, it felt like salvation was at hand, until an actual hand grabbed her arm and began pulling. Startled, she looked to see the songstress attempting to lead her away from the square. That was exactly where she _wanted_ to go, but not with the wretch who had derailed her every attempt to escape thus far.

     “Azura, what are you doing? Let me go!”

     “No.” The singer snapped, her voice unusually firm. “You need to come with me, Nerr.” Snatching her hand away, the Nohrian girl frowned at her attempted captor.

     “I don't need to go anywhere with you. I've washed my hands of you and all the Hoshidans. The Nohrian army is coming--”

     “Yes, and I'm quite sure you'll go with them.” Azura cut her off, her voice dripping with contempt that seemed out of place with her delicate features. “But before you run off again, I need to speak with you.” Crossing her arms over her chest (and momentarily forgetting she still held the Yatogami), Nerr shot the other princess a wry frown.

     “Alright. I'm listening.”

     “Not here. Come with me, back to the castle.” As much as she hated the thought of going back to that prison, being surrounded by angry Hoshidan soldiers clamoring on about how much they were looking forward to cutting down the Nohrian disease that plagued them was in no way better. Contenting herself with the knowledge that at the very least, she was armed once again, she began following Azura back to the castle.

000

It was hardly any less upsetting back at the castle. If she had returned to the Citadel covered in dust and blood, her clothes singed and torn, everyone would've descended on her at once, inquiring what happened, if she was injured, and attempting to heal her. In the castle at Shirasagi, the maids and guards actively pulled away as she and Azura walked past them. It seemed word traveled fast, for there was much crying and grief over the tremendous loss of life that had occurred, but with the influence of their empress no longer there, it seemed the Hoshidans had forgotten their supposed peaceful and benevolent nature. Many of the the castle staff whispered behind their hands as the princesses passed, their gazes speaking their hatred more loudly than any words.

     “Demons...”

     “This is your fault!” Some, however, did not bother to hide their disdain.

Nerr ignored them easily, caring little for the words of savages, but with every insult and accusation hurled their way, Azura flinched a bit more. It wasn't long until they reached their destination, somewhere near the highest floor of the castle. Opening the doors lead to a room nearly as large as the throne room itself. Scrolls and swords, paintings and figurines covered the walls and filed every inch of the many shelves. A masterfully crafted bow that seemed to be carved of ivory with gilded accents stood on a holder near one of the windows. Nerr looked around, both in awe of the opulence she was seeing, and incredibly uncomfortable with it at the same time.

     “What is this place?”

     “This is-- _was_ Empress Mikoto's room.” The singer had walked in without hesitation, and began pulling open drawers, clearly looking for something.

     “Wait, what? The royal chambers? And you just waltz in here? Where are the guards?” Azura paused, looking back over her shoulder with a bemused expression.

     “Why would there need to be guards? Who would enter the empress's quarters without permission?” It was almost funny how badly she missed the joke there. Nerr scowled. There had been very few soldiers and guards at the square until _after_ the explosion as well. What was the point of having an army if all they did was idle around, doing nothing to protect their sovereign?

     “What are you snooping around for?”

     “I'm not 'snooping around'- There's something I need to give you- where did she put it this time? ...ah! Finally! Gods, why must she always move things around?” Curious and uncomfortable all at once, Nerr could only remain where she was as the singer approached her, holding in her hand a bright blue stone about the size of her fist.

     “I've seen that before! What is it?”

     “This is a Dragonstone. The manaketes used them. If all goes well, it should allow you to return to a human form at will.” She offered it, but the Nohrian girl pulled away, eying it with a dark suspicion.

     “...Empress-- my-- ...Empress Mikoto tried to give me this yesterday. She said it would help me with 'my outbursts'. Why would she say that? Why would she have this thing? Does _she_ turn into a dragon?” Azura shook her head, looking at the stone, her eyes dull in their unhappiness.

     “No. ...she was saving it for you. For years she told me it was for someone special, and the day you jumped out the window, she asked me to bring it to her then.” That answered absolutely none of Nerr's questions, only piled more onto the quickly growing heap, and the confusion and feelings of stupidity they brought were quickly making her angry.

     “You don't just give someone a dragonstone for no reason. How did she know I needed this? Why didn't she tell me?”

     “How _could_ she tell you?” The singer snapped harshly. “You were nothing but cold and cruel to her. You thought every word she spoke was a lie; do you honestly think you'd have believed her if she told you you were a dragon? You didn't even believe that she was your mother!” The intensity of the guilt she felt was unexpected. She couldn't have braced for the way those words seemed to strike her in the heart, and leave a coldness in her very soul. It wasn't as if Azura was wrong, and both women knew it. The Hoshidan inhaled deeply, her breath a bit shaky- it seemed she had let herself get riled up.

     “Take it. You'll need it.” Feeling like a thoroughly chastised child, Nerr reached out and gripped the stone. Despite having been in Azura's hands for several minutes, it still felt cool to the touch, like water that had become solid without freezing... if that made any sense. “Now, close your eyes.” Too tired, mentally and physically, to argue, she did as the other girl instructed. Despite them being closed, she could see a light bright enough to turn the black of her lids red. She could feel something cool begin to flow through her fingers, making it's way up her arms and shoulders and neck before running down her spine and spreading out to her toes. It felt like she was being filled with cool water, but rather than cause her to shiver, it provided a... relaxing sensation. As though she had been overheated after training for too long. It didn't last long, but even when the brisk cold was gone, the feeling of calm it brought with it remained. Nerr opened her eyes to find Azura looking at the stone with an expression of satisfaction.

     “I think it worked. You should be fine as long as you keep the stone with you. Don't lose it.”

     “...why are you helping me?” She could not stop the words from spilling over her lips. She didn't want to sound ungrateful; surely, the songstress didn't have to do this for her- she'd have left without even knowing what that strange rock had even been. She did not know what reason Azura could have given, but she certainly didn't expect the one she heard.

     “...because I need you to listen to me, and I thought this was the only way you would.”

     “Really?”

     “Yes.” The blunette sighed, walking over to a cushion and sitting down upon it, tucking her knees beneath her in what looked like a very uncomfortable manner. “I wish I could say it's because I feel... _something_ towards you. Anything. But I don't. Even though I can understand why you've been acting as you have, even empathize with it, I can't forgive it. Not now, not when you were so cruel to the people who have shown me such kindness... Mikoto-sama and Hinoka used to talk about you all the time. Perhaps I'm still holding out hope to meet _that_ person one day.” Nerr stared at her for a long time, letting her words sink in before she spoke, choosing her words carefully.

     “Don't hold your breath. Now then, what was so important that you had to discuss it with _me_?” Azura looked up at her, those eerie golden eyes appearing molten in the darkened glow of dusk.

     “Mikoto-sama said she found you in the lake last week. But the soldiers didn't. You weren't in the lake, were you?”

     “Yes, I was.”

     “No. You weren't. You may have started there, but you ended up somewhere else.” Nerr felt her blood go cold at the mere memory of that rippling sky. All of it had felt like a fever dream, something that would've been so easy to pass off as such if people didn't keep making her remember it.

     “...what does that have to do with anything?” The singer leaned forward, her expression grim.

     “I think you brought something back with you. Something very bad, and it may well spell destruction for both Hoshido _and_ Nohr if you don't do something about it.” She shook her head, not believing- not _wanting_ to believe- what she was hearing.

     “N-no. I didn't do anything-- what... what could I even do?”

     “I don't know. You were chosen for something. Perhaps it was this.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Oh. My. LORD. That was hell in a hand basket. Like I said at first, this fic started right where “Hoshidan Strangers” left off in TRNT, so I had to redo a bunch of shit I'd already written, and it took every ounce of mental strength to keep from just copy/pasting everything, BUT... I also want to show that unlike with the Birthright and Conquest routes, things are a little different here from the start. After all, there has to be some reason to deviate from the path Nerr always chooses. I did copy the flashback from the old beginning, mostly because it's a memory- it shouldn't change. Things should be getting better from here on out as I'm slowly remembering how to put words together in a way that isn't complete and utter shit again. I appreciate anyone and everyone who's sticking around.


	3. Changing Status Quo

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Ch.3- “Changing Status Quo”

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For the first time since she had arrived in Hoshido, Nerr didn't try to escape. She didn't need to. They were leading her exactly where she wanted to go; back into the comfort of her people- her _real_ people, the Nohrians. Yet, despite knowing she would be seeing, if not familiar faces, then at least a semblance of familiarity, the Nohrian princess felt no more at ease than she had for the past few weeks. She had slept little last night, the sounds of soldier and healers and castle staff readying armor and weapons for the trek to the border too raucous to ignore even if she had _tried_ to sleep. Which she hadn't. She had spent almost the entire night listening to Azura speak. Despite rambling for hours, the singer had actually said very little. Her words sounded like the ravings of a madwoman, yet she spoke them with such conviction that it was difficult not to believe her. After all, she alone seemed to realize that the foul creatures they'd fought, despite wielding Nohrian weapons, were _not_ Nohrian soldiers. She'd even brought up the fact that the initial attack had occurred while Mikoto was still alive. While her barrier, that kept Nohrians from actually attacking them, had still been in place.

 

 _“He wasn't Nohrian...” Nerr had whispered, feeling herself almost tear up in relief. She wasn't wrong; Nohrians_ _**weren't** _ _the heartless, blood thirsty savages the Hoshidans constantly tried to paint them as, even as they themselves roamed the halls of the castle chanting about salting the earth with the blood of their enemies. Azura had been much less impressed._

 _“He wasn't_ _**human** _ _, Nerr. None of those things were. They don't fight for peace_ _or_ _glory. They fight to kill, anything and everything in their paths. And more will come.”_

_“...and what am I supposed to do about that?” The songstress had sighed, looking utterly exhausted. Her tiredness was beginning to show as well; Nerr could see the dark circles beginning to form under her eyes. She was still caked in dust and blood and sweat and who knew what else. Neither of them had bathed since the destruction in the square._

_“I don't know...” Azura admitted quietly. “I don't know what you_ _**can** _ _do. But I_ _**do** _ _know you can't do it alone. Tomorrow, I'll speak to Ryouma._ _He needs to know Nohr is not the only enemy.” The Nohrian princess laughed humorlessly._

_“As if he'll care. Even if you explain everything to him as you did to me, he won't care. He wants his pound of flesh, and he wants it from the Nohrians. All these 'peace-loving' Hoshidans do.”_

_“You're wrong, Nerr. Hoshido's people aren't like that.”_

 

As they marched through the grassy plains to the west of Shirasagi, it occurred to Nerr that Azura was either deaf, or else, willfully stupid. Even though she lagged at the very end of the Hoshidan battalion, she could easily hear the soldiers talking amongst themselves. They were not afraid, no, not in the slightest. They seemed to anticipate this battle with the eagerness of a hungry dog looking at a steak. They spoke of past battles, recounting war stories, compared weapons and discussed techniques. All in the pursuit of ending lives. Nohrian lives. The lives of the people she had grown up wanting to protect, lives that had been put on the line to protect her. And she was on the opposite side of the battlefield, standing with the people who laughed and joked about murdering them. Her collar felt too tight. She couldn't breathe. Nerr reached up to unbutton the first few inches, allowing herself a bit easier airflow.

She may as well have been nude as she marched, wearing only the blouse and tights she had been wearing for days now. Her armor had not been in Mikoto's room, Azura didn't know (or at least claimed not to know) where it was, and there was no way in high Hell that she would've asked one of the Hoshidans. They'd probably thrown it away, anyway. No breastplate, no gloves, not even the cape that Camilla had made for her. All she carried with her was the golden sword that had nearly killed her, and the rune that apparently was meant to keep her from killing everyone else.

Holding the stone tightly calmed her racing pulse a bit, but the thought that Xander might be leading the charge always came back to the forefront of her mind and sent her head (and insides) back into a tizzy. It would make sense for him to lead their troops; he was rightfully known as one of the strongest, bravest, most loyal knights in all of Nohr. The only person Nerr would consider above him was Gunther, and... Gripping the dragonstone tighter, she tried to clear her thoughts. It was slightly easier than she'd thought it would be, as she noticed Azura pushing through the crowds of Hoshidans, not to get ahead of them, but to go back. Maybe she was going back to the capital; it wasn't as if she would be much help on the battlefield, unarmed and untrained as she was. But her expression was one of frustration and disappointment rather than fear.

     “You look upset. Did things not go well?”

     “He wouldn't listen to a word I said!” The singer went off at once, her voice more hurt than angry. “He thought I only telling him this because I was afraid of the Nohrians!” Nerr stopped, turning towards her.

     “I told you, Azura. Who _would_ believe you? Hells, I can hardly believe you myself.” Azura looked at her, a strange expression on her face that seemed comprised of many others that the Nohrian princess couldn't untangle.

     “But you _do_ believe me... don't you?” Nerr inhaled deeply and sighed, looking up. The usually unbearable bright blue and white of Hoshido's sky was much more subdued today, a cool monochromatic shade that was more gray than blue. The sun could barely be seen through the haze of the clouds. She caught a faint whiff of water on the wind; a storm must have been brewing somewhere far off.

     “If I believe you... then that means I'm not crazy. Or at, least that I'm not alone in being crazy. I think I'd be insane _not_ to believe you.” Thin, delicate hands gripped her own. Azura's nails were neat, filed and polished and pristine against her soft fingers. Nerr could see the jagged edges of her own nails, the dark stains around her her cuticles where she couldn't scrub away the blood that had dried there.

     “Then you have to help me, Nerr. There might be Nohrian royals amidst the soldiers. You need to try and explain things to them... that is, if they don't just kill you on sight.” The teal haired girl yanked her hands back and continued walking, her pace faster.

     “That's the Hoshidans' job. My siblings wouldn't hurt me. But what would I even explain _to_ them? That invisible human-shaped water monsters taking over?”

     “Just tell them that the Hoshidans aren't their enemy.”

     “Right. And what can I tell them that _isn't_ a lie?” Before the songstress could come up with either answer or retort, Nerr's attention had been caught by a metallic clang so faint, she'd have passed it off as hearing things if not for the Hoshidans calling out something loudly before running off. She couldn't understand their words, and turned to Azura for answers. “What happened? What did they say?”

     “They said 'all infantry, at arms'.” The blunette paled. “The Nohrians must already be close.”

Despite the fear in the other girl's voice, Nerr's heart swelled hopefully and, without thinking, she took off running, pushing past the Hoshidan soldiers in her rush. Ducking between the halberdiers that had formed a barrier near a cluster of trees that must have been serving as cover, the princess found herself in a clearing. A stream, with a few bridges spanning it, divided the plain in half. Said bridges did not seem built to withstand more than merchant wagons; one had already collapsed, leaving the Nohrians, with their heavy armor and mounts barded in plate, on the opposite side of the bank. One soldier made it closer, however, a paladin gripping his reins in one hand and his blade in the other. The high prince of Hoshido stared him down, his own sword drawn and leveled, but Nerr only noticed blonde curls held in place by an iron circlet.

     “Xander!!” She called out, tears of relief, joy, and desperation all choking her even as she ran towards him. Some of the Hoshidan soldiers tried to stop her, grabbing at her clothes to pull her back, but she was too determined to break free. Nohr's crown prince took his eyes off his enemy- a move he would've chastised her for had _she_ done it- disbelief and shock leaving his jaw slack.

     “Nerr? Gods, Nerr, is that truly you?”

     “Yes! It's me, brother!” At once, the prince's expression melted into relief, the warmth and love in his eyes visible even from a distance.

     “Oh... thank the gods! We thought you were dead, little princess. We'd almost... no. Never mind that. You're not hurt, are you? Have they harmed you, sister?” _Sister_... Vaguely, Nerr wondered if Xander knew the truth of her origins. It was likely; after all, as the heir to the throne, their father informed him of most things. How long, then, had he known no common blood bound them? He'd never given her any indication that they weren't related, but then again, neither had the king himself.

     “I'm fine, Xander. Why are you here?” Nerr could hear the Hoshidans muttering behind her. She could only make out bits and pieces of what they were saying, but knew that they didn't look kindly on how casually she was speaking to the enemy. She didn't care about what they thought, keeping her gaze focused on her elder brother until he gave her an answer. With practiced ease, Xander's face once again became the stoic, proud mask she was used to. He sat up straighter in his saddle.

     “Because Father says it is time, little princess. The Hoshidans are growing belligerent- attacking without warning, occupying Nohrian territories... we thought they killed you in that ambush... There are more reasons than I can list. But it matters not. We do this for the good of Nohr. Join us, Nerr, and we'll end this quickly. The faster we take the capital, the less bloodshed and senseless death there will be.” Ryouma, who had been still and silent until this point, perhaps hoping to glean some intel from the Nohrians, suddenly charged toward Xander with loud battle cry. His speed and the force of his attack would've been enough to overtake a typical soldier, but the crown prince was anything but. He brought Siegfried down, catching the curved sword's glowing edge on his flat. The blades gave off sparks, not just of metal shaving off, but of the magical energies imbued within both.

     “The nerve of you, speaking as though Hoshido will fall so easily... Don't listen to his lies, Nerrida! This man in a Nohrian commander!”

     “ 'This man' is my brother!” She hadn't even intended to say anything to Ryouma, but the argument was so natural, she couldn't help herself.

     “What are you talking about, Nerrida?” Nerr looked around for the unexpected voice, having to shield her eyes from the dust being kicked up as massive feathery wings beat the air above her. A pegasus landed a few yards away from her, the riders quickly dismounting. Takumi quickly took his place with the Hoshidan soldiers, but Hinoka was more hesitant, taking in the scene with a bemused frown. “Who's--” Her gaze lingered on Xander, and her eyes widened for a moment before she grabbed hold of a long lance with a curved blade at the apex. “That's one of the Nohrian royals! I'm coming, Ryouma--!!”

     “Hold your position, Hinoka!” Ryouma ordered sharply. “I can handle this dastard on my own.” Hoof beats and the swishing of leathery wings alerted to more reinforcements. Nerr believed Ryouma's confidence would be put to the test, but a quick glance revealed these were no ordinary reinforcements.

     “Nerr!” Camilla landed her wyvern on one of the remaining bridges, dismounting at once. “Oh, my poor sweet baby! I was so worried about you! Don't you ever, _ever_ wander away from me again, do you hear me?!” A blonde mage cantered up beside her. Leo wore an unusually open smile, and when he spoke, his normally haughty tone was almost nonexistent.

     “It's good to finally have you back, sister. It seems we were a bit hasty in thinking of funeral arrangements. You must have the devil's own luck!”

     “ _I_ knew you were okay, Nerr! I told everyone, but they didn't believe me!” Elise did not cross the bridge, but her voice, so happy and bright, could've been heard halfway across the country. “Now _everyone_ can see I was right! Yay! I'm so happy you're back, big sister!!” For one beautiful, ephemeral moment, Nerr forgot where she was. She forgot that she was in an enemy land, surrounded by the people she had been trained to see as other. With her siblings standing there, all looking so happy to see her, it was so easy to imagine she was back home at the citadel. They had all come to visit her for her birthday, bearing gifts though their presence alone was the greatest gift she could want. She could spend all day with them; no studying or training, just enjoying their company, and then that night, she could laugh with Gunther and Jakob and Flora and Felicia and--

     “Nohrian scum!!” A harsh voice, shrieking so loudly it cracked, violently tore her from her fantasy. Hinoka had run past her, gripping her lance tightly. “Anyan filth! You kidnap her, and now even after your web of lies have been undone, you _still_ try to lie to her!? Have you no shame?! Nerrida is _my_ sister; you stole her, you beasts!” Far from back down in the face of an irate soldier, Camilla sauntered forward, looking no more concerned than if someone had whispered something catty at a state dinner.

     “I beg your pardon? I think you're mistaken. But I see how you would be; we all know Hoshidans have little more than an animal intelligence. Allow me to explain- Nerr is _my_ sweet little sister, and the next savage who tries to convince her otherwise won't have a tongue much longer.” Paying no mind to either the fuming Hoshidan princess or the scores of soldiers readying their weapons, the lilac haired woman continued crossing the bridge, her arms outstretched, a wide, gentle smile curving her lips. “It's alright, Nerr. I know you must've been terrified, surrounded by these savages for so long, but mommy's here now.” Crimson flames came to life, wreathing Hinoka's blade as she raised it, leaving a shower of embers in it's wake.

     “Take one more step and see if I don't gut you, you anyan whore! Stay away from her! I won't let you take her away again! I won't!!”

     “Pay that harpy no mind, dearest. You just come back home, Nerr.”

     “Don't be fooled by their words.” Ryouma's voice dripped with malice as he called out to her. “You belong with your true family in Hoshido!”

     “ _True_ family? Ha! Empty words coming from those who don't know their meaning!” Xander could not keep his voice from rising in anger, though it once again reverted back to it's usual calm tone as he stared at her, making a heartfelt entreaty. “We have loved you and raised you since you were a child. Come home, little princess. We can live as a family once more!” Inhaling deeply, Nerr walked over to the stream, her gait purposeful. The water was frigid as she stepped into it, coming up only to her knees, but so fast that it made traversing the slimy pebbles difficult. Climbing up the embankment, she looked between the two heirs to their respective countries.

     “This way!” Ryouma's voice was harsh, firm, brooking no refusal. He held his hand out to her, yet did not relinquish hold of his sword. The Hoshidan royals had also approached the bank, though they did not cross the river. Sakura of all people stood at the forefront, clutching her staff tightly as she looked at the scene with mournful eyes.

     “N-nee-sama...?”

     “ _No!!_ She's _my_ sister!!” Elise too had approached the bank ahead of Leo and Camilla, and while she too seemed near tears, there was a definite anger in her voice. The hand Xander offered her was the one that, only seconds prior, had been holding his sword. That small gesture did not go unnoticed by Nerr.

     “ _We're_ your family...”

' _Family... my family...'_ She inhaled, steeling herself and walking over to Xander. The gasps from the Hoshidans were audible, and even angry voices could be heard from the soldiers in the back. The Nohrian prince smiled widely at her, further outstretching his hand. Nerr ignored it.

     “You're my family, Xander. Regardless of what blood flows in my veins, you, Camilla, Leo and Elise are the only family I have ever known. You have loved me, and I will _always_ love you.” Xander's eyes were warm as he spoke softly.

     “Well said, little princess. You may not have been born to the the same parents as us, but the bonds that tie us are thicker than blood.” The happy moment was cut short by a large hand closing around Nerr's arm like a vice, pulling her back with enough force to cause her to stumble. Ryouma glared at her, his eyes wild.

     “What are you saying, Nerrida?! You would discard your _true_ family and stand with those who mean to destroy us?! Need I remind you that it's because of _these_ people that you- and all of your siblings- are an orphan!?”

     “What are you talking about, Hoshidan?” Nerr ignored both Xander's question and Ryouma's anger, pulling her arm free and returning his glare.

     “No, Ryoma Sama. It isn't because of _these_ _people_ that our parents lives were cut short. It was because of _one_ person. That's your problem; you attribute sins to those that haven't committed them. Just like the attack in Shirasagi.”

     “You know full well that was the work of the Nohrians!”

     “What are you talking about, Hoshidan? Enough of your lies!”

     “Xander!” Nerr snapped at her brother. “For the love of the gods, just be quiet.” Shock was writ on his face, but he did not argue with her. Sighing, the princess turned back to Ryouma. “That attack had nothing to do with the Nohrian army, Ryouma. They are not so cowardly as to attack innocent civilians to get the upper hand--”

     “The hell they aren't! I watched those monsters ambush my father in the dead of night! They are cowards and murderers, and I'll be damned if I allow you to stand with them!” Before Nerr could even think to respond to that, the barded flank of a black stallion blocked her view of the Hoshidan man. Xander had returned his sword to his dominate hand, and looked ready to swing it at a moment's notice.

     “This is not your choice to make, Hoshidan. Nerr knows full well where her loyalties lie, and it's not with the savages who have torn her away from everything she knew. If you've any sense of self-preservation, you and your soldiers will lay down your weapons and surrender now.”

     “Xander!” The princess ran around Asmodeus, once more coming between her brothers. “Stop this, you don't understand! You can't fight Hoshido; not now, not like this--”

     “No, little princess, I fear it is _you_ who doesn't understand. The time for peace treaties has long since passed. Father has decided that our kingdom can no longer sustain itself--”

     “King Garon is a cowardly whoreson with the deaths of innocents on his hands!” She could not have stopped herself if she wanted to, but the truth was that she didn't. Doubt and confusion and anger had been building inside her for so long that now it overflowed.

     “Wh-what? Nerr, what are you saying...?”

     “I'm saying that the man I once called father organized an attack in the Hoshidan capital. An attack that killed Empress Mikoto, civilians, and very nearly myself. I would not be standing here before you if it was not for the empress' sacrifice...” The feeling of a hand on her shoulder was so familiar that for a moment, Nerr didn't even realize it was Ryouma's until he moved closer to her.

     “Do you see, Nohrian? Even your 'little princess' acknowledges that your demon king is a callous murderer. He would use Nerrida as bait with no regard to her well being. He would do _a_ _nything_ to get his war.” The arrogant tone of his voice filled her with disgust, and she pulled away from his grasp, jerking her shoulder when he tried to tighten his grip to keep her still.

     “No. You're wrong, Ryouma. Both of you are wrong. King Garon definitely has some of the blame- _lots_ of blame- but _this_ battle is not being fought for the right reasons.” Xander shook his head, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of her words. In that moment, Nerr desperately wished she was more like Leo; _he_ would be able to explain his thoughts without them sounding like a child's idealism.

     “What are you saying, Nerr? The Hoshidans _kidnapped_ you--”

     “Ha! A joke in poor taste, Nohrian.”

     “Perhaps you'd rather taste my blade, then?”

     “For the gods' sake, **stop**! Can you two act like the leaders you supposedly are for a few seconds and _try_ to be diplomatic?!”

     “No.” Ryouma seethed, his eyes narrowed with loathing. “The time for diplomacy has long since passed. Our father attempted to negotiate with Nohr, and all it earned him was an early grave.” Xander let out a harsh bark of laughter, though his eyes remained cold and mirthless.

     “A fitting end for the savage that decimated our troops with underhanded blitzes. There can be no peace, not as long as these byak devils horde the gods' gifts for themselves. To my side, Nerr! We will strike them down together!”

     “The only one who will be struck down today is _you!_ Get back with the others, Nerrida; these anyan beasts wouldn't hesitate to use you as a human shield.”

Both princes raised their blades, arcs of lightning crackling from one whilst elder magic pulsed from the other. The wind whistled as they brought them down, each intended to land a crippling, if not killing blow. The heat, the stench, the pressure of their combined holy powers made her feel lightheaded, but Nerr tightened her grip on her own blade and, with a confidence that could only come with not caring about the consequences, knocked both blades aside, first Ryouma's, then Xander's. Vibrations from the impact ran up her arm, almost enough to make her drop her sword, but she managed to hold on (if just barely). Whispers and murmurs from both sides of the battlefield intensified.

     “Nerrida! What are you doing!?” Hinoka cried out, fear almost edging out the confusion in her voice. Leo's was much less confused, though there was certainly a tinge of fear to be heard through his frustration.

     “Get away from them; you're going to get yourself killed!” Gripping her wrist to steady it, Nerr ignored both siblings, keeping her attention focused exclusively on the princes before her.

     “No. Neither of you has convinced me that your side is worth fighting for. In fact, all you've shown me is that you have neither the maturity nor intelligence to run a country.”

     “Excuse me?!” The blonde man gaped at her, affronted. “How dare you show such disrespect, not only to Nohr's heir, but your own brother--”

     “Shut up, Xander. I am _so_ disappointed in you! Do you even hear yourself? You're launching an attack on Hoshido now just because Father said so? How can you follow the orders of a... a lying, murderous coward like that!? The Hoshidan capital is in ruins because of him, and you would build your campaign on the bodies of dead children?!” Violet eyes, that had been wide as she spoke, sudden narrowed in suspicion.

     “What are you talking about, Nerr? Our troops have only just arrived in Hoshido; nothing has been done to the capital.”

    “Yes, it has! Haven't you noticed I no longer have the sword Father gave me? It nearly killed me. Twice! Please, brother. Send back your troops. I can _show_ you what happened. Nohr is better than this...” Nerr had never seen uncertainty in Xander's eyes until that day. As far as she knew, her brother had never doubted anything, _ever_. He didn't need to; he was strong and brave and just... exactly as a knight _should_ be. Ever so slowly, he lowered his sword, and her heart leapt forward. This was a start, a step in the right direction. With Xander on her side, she could help Azura speak to Ryouma and--

     “AAAAGGHH!!!” She'd barely heard the wind whistling, but she certainly felt the gust knock her off her feet as something that felt like a round shot collided with her thigh. Her ears rung something awful as she tried to regain her senses, attempting to push herself back up. The moment her leg moved, however, the pain radiating laid her low again. The princess stayed as still as she could, breathing hard and trying to steel herself. It felt wet and hot. The ground vibrated, and slowly, sound began coming in over the whine.

     “--meaning of this!?”

     “That was _not_ an authorized attack!” Groaning quietly, Nerr managed to sit up, even though the world rocked back and forth so strongly she was afraid she'd fall over again. Xander and Ryouma were arguing, but... _they_ hadn't attacked her. It had come from behind. Looking over her shoulder, a thrill of loathing ran through her as she saw the other Hoshidan prince, still holding his strangely carved bow. It was strung now, with a cord that gave off an ethereal glow. No emotion, save for cold hatred, could be seen on his face as he raised it once more, aiming it at her back. Before he could reach for an arrow, a blue and white figure ran forward, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him from his stance. She could, very faintly, hear the Hoshidans arguing.

     “Takumi! What are you doing!?”

     “What no one else will.”

     “Y-you hit Nerrida n-nee-sama!”

     “And this time, I won't miss.” Shoving Azura away, he readied his bow once more, but couldn't aim as... _something_ threw him off balance. A low, faint rumbling was all the warning the Hoshidan prince got before the earth beneath him exploded, sending grass and dirt flying. Thick, gnarled branches sprang forth, a tree growing in rapid time, it's verdant foliage concealing, but not impeding, the spear-like points of it's branches. They tore through Takumi's robes, cutting deep gouges into his skin before the force knocked him to the ground.

     “Contemptible fool!” Leo's usually even voice was alien in it's anger. The tome in his left hand glowed faintly. Stones and clumps of earth rose into the air around the prince as he closed the gap between himself and the Hoshidans, either as a show of his magical prowess or else, his magic simply running unchecked in his angered state. “You have the nerve to claim Nerr as your sister, then attack her when her back is turned!? Honorless dogs serve more purpose in death!”

     “You have no right to talk about honor!” Hinoka, who had been furious at Takumi only seconds ago, was now the first one at his side to pick him up, glaring hateful daggers at Leo. “All Nohrians _ever_ do is attack people when their guard is down! My brother was probably aiming at your bastard prince before he followed in his father's footsteps!”

     “Do you see, little princess?” Nerr unwittingly flinched as massive hooves stepped over her. Xander's voice was cold in it's disappointment. “Do you see what happens when you try to engage with these savages peacefully? They murder their own, like mindless animals. The only good Hoshidan is a _dead_ Hoshidan!” Snapping the reins, he drove Asmodeus forward with a shout, narrowly avoiding crushing Nerr's outstretched leg. Ryouma did not blink as the imposing animal barreled down on him, charging forward with a battle cry of his own.

The princess cringed, covering her head with her arms. Not because she was too afraid to watch; she had no doubt in her mind that Xander could hold his own with ease, but being unable to move as she now was, she was afraid the men, so consumed with their furious combat, would trample her. Taking a cue from their respective leaders, the bulk of both armies surged towards each other, weapons raised, cries of glory and vengeance on their lips. Water splashed as they stormed through the river. Swords and spears met with a deafening clang, and soon, screams of anguish joined the cacophony. Knowing that she would be killed if she continued being a sitting duck (after all, Takumi was out there _somewhere..._ ) Nerr bit her lip and slowly, as carefully as she could, maneuvered her uninjured leg under herself and pushed herself into a somewhat upright position.

Grabbing the Yatogami, which had fallen from her hand, the princess staggered away from the battlefield. The crown princes of Nohr and Hoshido did not notice her hobbling past them as they circled one another, looking for an opening. Xander held his sword aloft, the dark gem set within Siegfried's guard glowing brightly before a beam of elder magic shot towards Ryouma. He leapt back, a crater surrounded by scorched grass blown at the spot his feet had occupied seconds earlier. The samurai raised his sword in front of his face, his hand pressed against the false edge as thunder magic was erupted from the glowing blade, burning the air itself as it rumbled. Managing to limp over to one of the few spindly trees growing in the center of the field, Nerr leaned against it's thin trunk, trying to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her brow as her head pounded from the pain. Where the fabric had torn, she could see a ragged hole, the exposed muscles quivering as they spasmed uncontrollably. Whimpering, she reached down, trying to press on the wound, though without anything to use as a bandage, staunching the blood flow would be difficult.

     “Nerr!” Inhaling sharply, the princess raised her sword, though she immediately lowered it upon seeing Azura stumble over to her. The hem of her dress was sopping wet, and her feet were caked in dust, but she looked otherwise unharmed.

     “Azura, what are you doing here? You're going to get yourself killed; you need to take your behind back behind Hoshidan lines.”

     “There's no point, Nerr; it's chaos back there. I've already seen at least two casualties on our side.” She sighed, abject misery clouding her face. “You were so close... Prince Xander was listening to you; I saw it. And if the Nohrians agreed to a ceasefire, I'm _certain_ Ryouma would have allowed him into the capital to see what King Garon did...”

     “Yes, and that horrid little pig fucker Takumi had to go and ruin everything! When I get my hands on him--!” The singer placed her hands on Nerr's arm, which was shaking in her anger and blood loss.

     “Killing Takumi isn't going to do anything but make matters worse. We need to get Xander and Ryouma to listen to us. While their armies are fighting, the _real_ threat can wreak havoc and destruction unchecked.” Nerr gestured to the princes, their blades cutting deep gouges in one another's armor, and coming dangerously close to vital organs.

     “Well, have at them. In case you haven't noticed, _I got shot in the leg!_ I can barely walk, much less fight!” Azura looked at the wound in question, her usually pale face turning an unsightly green as she gagged slightly.

     “Ugh... We need to get you over to Sakura- she can heal you.”

     “I'll pass out before I get there. Give me your dress.” Without waiting for the singer's response, she grabbed the ruffled skirt and, bunching it up, pressed it to the bloody hole.

     “Lady Nerr!” Azura's look of disgust quickly turned to fear as she looked around, searching for the distinctly Nohrian voice amidst the clashing warriors.

     “Be on your guard, Nerr. Regardless of what you think of the royals, the other soldiers could easily--”

     “Jakob!!” Paying Azura's warning no mind, Nerr waved her arms in the air, relinquishing pressure on her wound and drawing attention to herself, but not caring. She could see an all too familiar head of silvery hair dashing through the river, closing the distance between them.

     “Milady! Thank the gods you're safe!” The butler dropped to his knees the moment he reached her, bowing so lowly his forehead touched her toes. “Since the Chasm, I've been struggling to find a reason to even get up in the morning without you... I'm almost afraid this is all a beautiful dream and I'll have to wake up soon...” His words touched her, and Nerr felt her heart swell with a joyful gratitude for her retainer; she was blessed to have such loyalty. Unfortunately, his alternating praise and unhappiness was helping no one. Reaching down, she patted his head softly.

     “I'm sorry I made you worry, Jakob, and I promise I'll never do anything like that again, but now is not the time to sit around and mope. People are dying, and even more will die if we don't do something about it.” The steward stopped his groveling, getting back to his feet with excessive speed, and pulling a dagger from his holster.

     “You're absolutely right, Lady Nerr. And I will cut down anyone who so much as breathes in your direc-- ...tion...” His eyes narrowed as he noticed Azura, who gave the butler a wary look. One Nerr would've said was unwarranted were it not for the blade now directed at her throat. “Starting with this Hoshidan! She was probably one of the ones responsible for knocking me out at the Chasm!” Gasping fearfully, the blunette ducked behind Nerr. Frowning, she knocked Jakob's hand aside, wincing as her exposed flesh was scraped by the sharp points on his gauntlet.

     “Jakob, no! Azura is not my enemy. She's not exactly a friend... but she's not an enemy. ...at least not now. If you want to be useful, go find a healing staff and fix my leg.” Still scowling suspiciously at the cowering singer, Jakob slowly returned his dagger to it's holster.

     “My apologies, milady. After our last encounter with them, I'm finding it rather difficult to see Hoshidans as anything but the enemy. Fortunately, I always come prepared.” Hanging from his belt was a heal staff. Judging by the size, it probably wasn't very strong, but Nerr didn't need a leg reattached. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly to keep from crying out as the fractured bone knit itself back together, muscle fibers and skin reworking into a solid mass once more. Regardless of what Azura said, if she ever laid eyes on that Hoshidan dastard again, she was going to pay him back in kind.

Finally able to put weight on both legs again, the princess stood up straight, scanning the battlefield for a sign of... something. She had no idea what to do; even if she could stop Xander from fighting, there was no doubt in her mind that Ryouma would only use that opportunity to get an attack in. A group of Hoshidan soldiers was quickly encroaching on the Nohrian side of the the plains, but before they could make it to the front, a tightly compressed ball of flames rained down on them from the sky. The moment it made contact, it exploded, reducing grass and cloth and hair to ash. The soldiers who had not immediately gone into shock form the attack screamed as they dropped to the singed earth, rolling in a desperate attempt to put out the flames licking at their skin. A familiar head of lilac curls was visible in the wyvern's saddle, but before Nerr could even try calling out to her sister, Camilla flew off, pulling an ax from the saddle and hurling it at another Hoshidan. Fortunately, she was too far away to hear the squelching sound as the thick blade sank deep into the man's back over the din of battle, but the sight was enough.

     “Hell and damnation, where has Xander gone?”

     “The last I saw of him, he had retreated to the west and was giving orders to the soldiers.” Jakob told her, replacing his staff. It was a start. She nodded, and took a few steps before turning back to her retainer.

     “Jakob, stay with Azura. Don't engage anyone.”

     “Milady, I must protest! I have vowed to stay by your side and I have no intention of--”

     “I'll be back in a moment, Jakob, I promise!” She took off running even as he spoke, not daring to look over her shoulder lest she end up running headlong into a sword. With the added momentum, she managed to leap over the majority of the stream, her heels slipping on the slick rocks near the bank, but it was not enough to stop her. Skirmishes had spread out form the center of the plains, and as she ran through the pandemonium, it's early casualties were unavoidable. Amidst the broken swords and lances that littered the field, both Nohrian and Hoshidan in design, bodies stood out like macabre boulders. Some face down, others sprawled on their backs. The Hoshidans seemed to fare worse, many of them with shattered, or outright missing limbs, their scant armor not protecting nearly enough to keep Nohrian blades away from vital organs and arteries.

And yet, their fighting showed no signs of slowing. Soldiers avoided bodies, stumbled over the limbs of both enemies and comrades alike, their only mission to add to the death toll. A particularly high scream gave her pause, and after a beat of hesitation, the princess took off in the direction it came from. A Nohrian soldier, armed with only a tome, lay on the ground, trying to use the spell book as a shield to fend off the blade of a Hoshidan lancer. Both women, and had both been on equal footing, Nerr would've undoubtedly continued on her way, but it was clear that the strategist either would not, or could not fight. She wept fearfully, trying to back up, dragging a leg that hung limply as the able soldier slashed at her.

     “Nohrian filth! Where's your glory now that you're alone, coward?! Get up! Get up and fight!”

     “N-no! Please, I can't!!” She sobbed in response, hiding behind her rose colored hair. With a growl of anger, the lancer raised her weapon high, bringing it down with enough force to crack the other woman's skull, if not cleave it in half entirely. The blade never reached it's target however, falling to the grass beside the strategist, as she shook in terror. Pulling back the now useless wooden shaft, the blue haired lancer stared at it in in confusion that quickly gave way to anger. Nerr repositioned her sword, making certain she could attack at a moment's notice as she stood in front of the whimpering soldier.

     “Return to your battalion, Hoshidan. I'll be damned if I let you attack a soldier who's done fighting.” The lancer's expression grew darker and darker with every word Nerr said, until her lips were twisted into so ugly a scowl, it could have frightened a demon.

     “Takumi-sama was right about you... you _aren't_ one of us. You're a filthy Nohrian, just like them!” Adjusting her grip on the newly made pole, the lancer began swinging like a woman possessed. The princess avoided the first two blows, but the second caught her in the ribs, sending pain radiating through her torso. Stumbling a bit, Nerr swung her blade, the sharp edge catching on the wooden haft. It lodged into the wood, and with a twist of her wrist, she splintered it into an even shorter section.

     “I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Get back!”

     “And leave you to ruin Hoshido? Never! I'll kill all of you! I'll-- gih!” The girl's head jerked forward, and she fell to her knees, groaning in pain. A man stood behind her, wearing a familiar white and indigo livery. He held a dagger in his right hand and, given how high above his head it was raised, it was likely he wouldn't be satisfied until it broke through bone.

     “Jakob! Don't kill her!” Stopping short in his downward swing, the butler looked up at his ladyship, frowned, and smashed back of her head with his left gauntlet. With a short cry of pain, the lancer collapsed into a whimpering pile. Nerr winced- it wasn't a blade, but a steel glove didn't exactly tickle. But at the least the Hoshidan was still breathing- that was all that mattered to her. Kneeling beside the tearful strategist, she grabbed the girl's shoulders. “You're safe now. You need to get back to the other soldiers.”

     “I-I was, but Lord Leo sent me out to heal those wounded on the front line--”

     “Leo? Where is he?!” Flinching from her sharp voice, the pink haired healer pointed beyond a copse northwest.

     “His lordship was out there, giving orders to the troops, last I saw.” Getting back to her feet, the princess set off before stopping, turning back to her retainer as she just realized something was off.

     “Where's Azura? I thought I told you to keep an eye on her?”

     “She was speaking to one of the Hoshidans, a particularly young one. They seemed to know each other. Not that it matters; my duty it to protect _yo_ _u_ , not some random nobody.” _'Damn it all, Jakob...'_ She thought to herself.

Well, if he was intent on following her, he'd need to keep up. Twigs and brambles pierced the soles of her feet as she ran, but Nerr pushed the discomfort she felt down. If Xander wasn't going to listen to her, then she would just have to speak to someone smarter. Hopefully, Azura was in the company of Sakura and not just some exceptionally small but vicious Hoshidan assassin. Just beyond the tree line, she could see stacks of crates and weapons. That must have been the makeshift base of commands. Slowing to a trot, then to a walk, she slowly made her way closer to the Nohrian camp. There seemed to be no animosity towards her from the western forces, but she didn't want to take any chances. She scanned the arena, seeing no one in the immediate vicinity. Stepping out, she was tackled, the force of the blow nearly knocking her off her feet.

     “Milady!” At once, Jakob was at her side, weapon in hand, but he did nothing to pry her attacker off of her. It took a while (too long a while considering what was going on around them) for Nerr's erratic pulse to calm down enough to realize what was going on, but she did notice there was no attack happening. Just arms wrapped tightly around her middle, and long blonde hair all but concealing the person it belonged to.

     “Elise?”

     “Big sister!” The young princess looked up, her purple eyes sparkling with delight. To judge by her expression alone, one would be hard pressed to remember they were on a battlefield. “Finally! I lost sight of you when the fighting started, but Camilla told me to get away from the front lines so I couldn't look for you! I was so worried!” Falling back into her old routine was easy. It was easy to pretend nothing had changed, that nothing was going wrong even as they spoke. Nerr gently stroked her sister's hair, her fingers getting tangled in the gold and lilac spirals.

     “I'm sorry, Elise. I didn't mean to worry you or anyone else. But where is Leo? I need to talk to him.”

     “About what?” Inhaling deeply, she pulled away, holding her sister at arm's length to better look at her.

     “This is not a battle we should be fighting, Elise. This war is being declared for unjust reasons, and as of now, King Garon has done more wrong than the Hoshidans.”

     “Surely you don't intend to return to Nohr spouting that radicalized insurgent slander, sister?” Both princesses looked up in time to see Leo dismounting from his stead. His armor was missing several plates, and one could see his hair was singed on one side. Breathing hard, he threw down the bentiron hilt at his side and began looking for a replacement. Nerr frowned to herself as she watched his back.

     “I'm not coming home period, brother. Not now.” Pausing in his selection of a new weapon, the prince turned to wards her, his face screwed up with sheer incredulity.

     “... _what?”_

     “What do you mean, Nerr? You _have_ to come home!” Elise gripped the hem of her blouse and tugged on it, uncertainty and sadness creeping into her voice.

     “Under the thumb of King Garon? No... I cannot.”

     “What are you talking about, sister? If you're worried Father will be upset because of this... _debacle_ with the Hoshidans, don't be. I'll smooth things out with him.” Nerr, despite the turmoil brewing in her gut, immediately scowled at her younger brother, anger overtaking any sense of fear or discomfort.

     “You'll 'smooth things out'? No, Leo. This isn't some societal faux pas that needs a pardon. I'm not worried that he'll be upset; I'm worried that he'll _murder_ me! Because it wouldn't be the first time!” Leo's haughty attitude shifted slightly, into something unsettled- a look that did not become him.

     “What do you mean, sister? If this is about what happened in the castle--”

     “It's _not_. He sent me to the border knowing full well there would be Hoshidans there. He ordered that whoreson Hans to antagonize the soldiers there, to attack me, to attack Gunther!” Angry tears filled her eyes, but she let that spur her on. “He killed Gunther, he killed my mother, he killed so many innocent Hoshidan civilians, and he tried to kill me!” Elise shook her head, her brows furrowed as she looked between her her siblings.

     “N-no... Father wouldn't do those things... would he?”

     “Of course not.” Leo snapped quickly. “Nerr, I don't know what those Hoshidans told you-- Gah!” He doubled over as she gabbed a hank of his hair, tugging it roughly.

     “I'm not stupid, Leo! And I'm not crazy! Do you honestly think I believed the Hoshidans' lies for even a moment!? I know Nohr too well to fall for that...” She let of him suddenly, feeling weak. “Which is why I know that this is not the work of our father alone. Murdering women and children en masse in such a cowardly manner? That isn't the work of the man Xander and Camilla told me about.” Wincing as he rubbed the side of his head, Leo fixed her with a hard stared.

     “Then who do you proclaim is behind this?”

     “Definitely Father. But... I also think he's in cahoots with someone else. Someone who cares nothing for Nohr's best interest; someone who would do to Nohr what they would do to Hoshido.” Nerr steeled herself, waiting for Leo's typical sneer reserved for when she said something (he thought was) stupid. She waited for his scathing words, accusing her once more of falling for the Hoshidans' lies, but they never came. At least, not from him.

     “You disappoint me, sister. I never dreamed the day would come that you tried to turn your siblings against their father...”

     “Xander!” She spun on her heel, looking up at the intimidating figure of the eldest prince. The way he looked at her, the disappointment and disgust in his eyes, wounded her, but she wouldn't let herself be deterred. “I'm turning no one against anyone! I'm trying to explain to Leo and Elise why I can't return to Nohr.”

     “Can't? Or _won't?_ Have the Hoshidans brainwashed you so easily, Nerr? Can you not see through their lies? They've filled your mind with nonsense to paint themselves as victims, and now you're doing the same thing to your younger siblings. For shame, little princess...”

She gaped at him, left speechless by his willful ignorance. The sheer _nerve_ of him, acting like there was no possibility she could be speaking the truth, simply because the truth involved his father. How could anyone so smart be so _stupid?_ Nerr opened her mouth, ready to level some choice words at her brother, when a sudden bang shook the very ground, followed by bloodcurdling screams. It reminded her of what happened in Shirasagi, what it must've sounded like to those that weren't at the epicenter.

     “Damnation!” Xander swore as he turned about and galloped back towards the battlefield. Grabbing a sword at random, Leo was hot on his heels.

     “Nerr? What was that??” Elise asked fearfully, her tiny form trembling. Nerr could only imagine she was doing the same, her heart desperately trying to escape the confines of her chest. She jumped as cold steel touched her arm, Jakob peering worriedly into her face.

     “Milady? Are you unwell? Perhaps you should sit and rest for a moment.” Rest for a moment... that was what she wanted to do back at the Chasm; rest for a moment suspended over an abyss... It was almost funny how often crashes seemed to be followed by death outside the Citadel. Her feet moved of their own accord, carrying her towards the sounds of pain and fear rather than away from it. At least if she was focusing on other peoples' she wasn't dealing with her own.

Skidding to a stop, she looked around in confusion. The open plain looked the same as she had left it, with both sides embroiled in battle. There were more bodies than last time, but that didn't seem like anything unusual. A strange blur wove between the soldiers, the air itself appearing to shimmer like it did around flames. One of the soldiers locked in combat, a Nohrian, cried out in pain, doubling over as the plates of her armor buckled and caved cutting into her midsection. The groaning stopped as her face caved in as well, the flesh and bone splitting in half and pouring blood onto the grass. It would've been horrible on it's own, but the fact that it seemed to happen of it's own accord only made it so much worse. The Hoshidan swordsman she'd been battling wasn't close enough to land those blows; he seemed just as horrified by them as she had been, though his horror didn't last long before his belly was split open by the same unseen force.

Violet embers popped and crackled on the ground near them, but there was no smoke, no ash, no sign of any heat whatsoever. Inhaling deeply, Nerr's jaw clenched. Mostly concealed by the stench of blood and waste was the unmistakable scent of stagnant water. In the midst of the battle, she could see Xander atop his destrier, bringing Siegfried down upon the Hoshidans, but completely oblivious to the presence of the other enemies around him. She ran towards him, but despite how hard she pumped her legs, she didn't seem to be moving fast enough. Something hard collided with her shins, sending her flying face first into the dust. Rolling over onto her back, she found herself staring at a semi-opaque figure. She could see the flames licking at their feet, but no heat radiated from them. Fumbling with the Yato at her waist, she swung the blade at the monster's legs, cutting through the gelatinous limbs. Foul smelling water splashed over her as the beast collapsed, the rusted ax it held landing in the puddle. But even as she got back up, she knew this one was not the last. Nerr could see nothing around her but flashing blades and dark armor and pale robes. She had even lost her bead on Xander.

Replacing the sword, she fumbled around in her brassier, pulling out the stone Azura had given her. She had no idea how to use it- all she knew about her new draconic form was that pain and anger brought it on, and it hurt to high hell, but hopefully, there was some part of her that instinctively knew how to utilize it, the same way she inherently knew where Dragon Veins were. Clutching the rune tightly as she prayed the clashing weapons would miss her, the first thing she felt was a soothing cool that was quickly replaced with burning. Her skin felt like it would burst as her arms and legs stretched, her joints breaking to bend in the opposite direction, her organs shifting. It was just as painful as it had been yesterday, but this time, at least, it was over thankfully soon. Ungainly though this elongated, spindly body seemed, she managed to run somewhat gracefully. Many soldiers stopped as she passed, some fearful, some staring in awe, while a few nasty creatures directed attacks at her. The urge to beat them over the head with one of her extra limbs was strong, but she ignored those base desires, focusing on her search for the creatures. In Shirasagi, they had all writhed and collapsed when their hooded leader vanished, so their resurgence must have meant he was somewhere nearby. The world appeared black and white in her eyes, but while she could no longer see their purpurate gleam, she could smell the fetor of decay that accompanied them all the better. Letting loose a roar, she gored one of the closest demons, her curved horns tearing through it like wet paper, the slimy water running down her face and into her open maw.

     “Gods! What is that?!”

     “Must be one of the Hoshidans' beasts. But it will be no match for Nohr's might!” Nerr's head perked up at the sound of Xander's rallying cry. Maybe they _did_ see the nightmare creatures, maybe now he would see that she wasn't crazy--

     ' _AUGH!_ _'_ She reeled as the acrid stench of elder magic burned the air, before sending a jolt through her body. It didn't hurt nearly as much as she knew it could have, thick skin and interlocking plates of scale dulling the magic, but it still burned her nerves something fierce. She whipped her head around, managing to look completely over her back without even exerting her neck.

     ' _Xander!'_ She thought furiously, wishing he could hear her. ' _What the hell?!'_

     “Sister?” The prince looked around wildly, trying to find the source of her voice. “Where are you?”

     “ _Here, you fool! I'm the Hoshidan beast you attacked!”_ The soldiers nearest the the prince recoiled, looking up to him for guidance.

     “Sire? What should we do?”

     “Hold your position!” Nerr tried to force her way through the fighting to get to her brother.

     “ _It's not the Hoshidans, brother! Don't you see them!?”_

     “What is this nonsense you're spouting?” The ground beneath her shifted slightly, causing her feet to sink into the wet soil. An amorphous figure rose up from the earth before her, the blob sprouting arms and legs. It pulled a mildewed tome from it's chest, flipping it open and directing a blast of icy magic upwards. It hit something, a loud bestial shriek filling the air as a mass of scales and wings plummeted towards the earth. The wyvern crashed in front of her, it's thrashing talons eviscerating the water creature, but it's job was done. Amidst the creature's flailing limbs, large splotches of it's flesh turning necrotic from the cold, a human's form could be seen lying limply on the ground. His helmet had come off, his head twisted at an impossible angle, undoubtedly crushed by the dragon landing on top of him. The Nohrian soldiers cried out, in shock, in anger.

     “Nerr! Gods, what have you done!? You've killed our forward commander!!”

     “ _What?!_ _No! No, I didn't!”_ The realization that he couldn't see the water demon from where he was hit her like a ton of bricks- to everyone watching, amidst the commotion, it must have seemed precisely like the strange, inhuman creature that had appeared was the one who launched the attack.

     “How _could_ you?! Why would you turn on us, sister!? Even if you were born a Hoshidan, every soldier here would've laid their life on the line for you, and _this_ is how you repay their loyalty? Have you no shame!?”

     “ _I didn't, Xander! It wasn't me; please, you_ _ **must**_ _believe me!”_

     “Nerr!” She could barely hear the voice calling out to her over the clamor, but with her additional height, she could see Azura on the far end of the plains, a speck of white trying to get her attention. Xander's voice, on the other hand, sounded like it was right beside her ear, a low, seething whisper.

     “Traitor... I know not what the Hoshidans have done to you, but this cravenly beast is _not_ my little princess. Soldiers! Subdue that... that _thing_ and capture it! I don't care if I have to cut my sister out of it!” Fueled by the anger brought on by the senseless death they pinned on her, the soldiers not engaged with Hoshidans turned on her, emmenating the same animosity and loathing the reserved for the enemy... In that moment, she _was_ the enemy.

 _“Stay back... stay away from me! I don't want to hurt you!”_ It seemed that her desperate entreaty only infuriated them more, as she the nearest soldiers began swinging at her, their lances and swords chipping at the scales on her legs. Trying to back up was almost impossible as they began crowding around her, turning their attention from the innumerable Hoshidans to this singular enemy. Gritting her teeth (at least, she would have if she had teeth), Nerr inhaled sharply and took off at a gallop, barreling over anyone in her way. As she passed Xander, it was clear the crown prince would not let her leave without giving chase. Snapping Asmodeus' reins, he quickly caught up to her. Her legs may have been longer than a horses', but she was much less accustomed to running on four as opposed to two.

     “You're only making this harder for yourself, Nerr! Repent and return to us with Nohr, and I _may_ be willing to ask Father to show you leniency!”

     “ _No! You won't believe a word I say, so why should I believe_ _ **you**_ _? Get away from me, Xander; I've lost too much to want to hurt you, but I will!”_ The blonde man clenched his teeth as he glared at her.

     “And you threaten the crown prince? If I'd known you would fall to the Hoshidans' tricks so easily, I'd have never let you leave the Citadel... Now stop running away from me!” Nerr's mind was awhirl as she tried to figure out what to do without slowing down. If she stopped, he would probably attack her if only to teach her a lesson. If she didn't, he'd just be angrier when he caught up to her (and he _would_ catch up to her). If she could just overtake him, she might be able to lash him with her tail or something (it felt like an arm in her mind- she assumed it would be no harder than throwing a punch)... The gods seemed to have heard her desperate thoughts, but chose an odd way of answering.

The ground at their feet exploded in a shower of dirt and debris. Xander, a skilled rider, managed to avoid the blast. Nerr's knuckles, however, caught on the edge of the newly formed crater, sending her tumbling ass over head, before landing in an awkward tangle of limbs. The only good thing that came from the sudden attack was that as the prince had veered away, it put a good bit of distance between them. Clambering back to her feet (a task made all the more difficult given how far from the ground she had to push herself now), the princess stumbled a bit, dazed from the fall, before spotting the cause of it. Standing several meters away was Takumi, gusts of wind buffeting his robes and long hair. He hadn't even lowered his bow- it was still aimed at her.

Had she not already started running when he let loose his arrow, a strangely glowing thing that seemed more light than solid mass, it probably would've done to her throat what a passing blow had done to her leg. It seemed the Hoshidan was more skilled than he looked, for he definitely aimed for where she was going to be rather than where she was going, but he must have misjudged exactly _what_ he was aiming at, as the aeriform arrow made contact with the tip of one of her horns, breaking the shining growth. It didn't hurt, per se, but she felt an uncomfortable pressure surge through her skull. If she'd had teeth, or indeed lips, they'd be drawn into a hateful snarl. He was getting closer, trying to get a clear shot. Just as he had raised his bow again, a flash of silver caught the low sunlight. Takumi dropped his bow, screaming and covering his face with both hands.

     “Wretched fiend...!”

     “ _Jakob?”_ Indeed, her retainer had ridden up alongside her, on a rouncy that was much smaller than a man of his height would generally need.

     “Indeed, milady- if you are in fact Lady Nerr?”

    “ _I am, but--”_

     “Lady Elise was generous enough to allow me to commandeer her mount. I had greater need of it than she did.” As they approached the hill where Azura stood, the butler leapt from the saddle, pulling another dagger from his thigh. The songstress looked up at Nerr as she tried to catch her breath.

     “We have to get out of here! Prince Xander seems to have turned all of the Nohrian soldiers against you, and Takumi is enough of a threat on his own to make Hoshido unsafe.”

     “ _I KNOW_ _that! The problem is, where can we go!?”_

     “The Chasm. We have to get to the Chasm.”

     “The Infinite Chasm?!” Jakob asked in disbelief. “And run the gauntlet of furious soldiers to get there? We'd never make it!”

     “Well, we-- AH!” The singer covered her head and dropped as the tree behind her exploded into splinters. Takumi was stumbling closer, his face a horrific sight covered in blood as it was, his off-white hair clinging to the gore and turning an ugly shade of red.

     “Traitor... I knew you couldn't be trusted... I _knew_ it! It's up to me to do what no one else can...!”

    _|Milady! This way!|_ Jakob and Azura tore their eyes away from the approaching figure, trying to find the source of this new voice that called from within their minds. Nerr knew it well enough to not be shocked, though she desperately prayed she would not have to worry about yet another person.

_“Lilith! Where are you?”_

    _|Here, milady. Please, hurry!|_ A yard or so behind them, the ground shone, the light swirling like smoke or water. Jakob recoiled in terror, though given the death that surrounded him, it seemed a strange thing indeed to think _this_ frightened him.

     “Good lord, what is that?!”

     “ _No time to explain. Jakob, Azura, go towards the light!”_ The songstress pulled a face that spoke as much to fear as it did disbelief.

     “I don't think that's what we're supposed to do, Nerr--”

     “ _Did I fucking stutter?! Get in the light!!”_ She pushed them forward with her head, not caring that her horns were probably cutting into them painfully. Azura reached the eddy light first; the moment her bare feet touched it, it pulled her under. At the sight of a woman disappearing into apparent nothingness, Jakob began struggling, but Nerr shoved him forward ungracefully and watched as he too vanished, making sure there was not trace of them before diving in herself. As the light consumed her, pulling her in all directions, the princess allowed herself a single thought. _'Xander... you'll understand one day, brother, whether you want to or not... Takumi... when I see you again, you're_ _ **dead**_ _...'_

000

This time, rather than find herself hitting the ground painfully, Nerr felt as though everything had slowed. The air didn't rush past her, instead gently caressing her. Opening her eyes, the world spun and warped, but slowly. She was floating downward. As her feet met the ground, it was solid but shifted the moment she put weight on it. Startled, she tried to avoid stepping on it, and in her haste, fell the remaining few feet. The force of hitting the ground sent a jolt through her, and the princess could sense her limbs spooling back into her body as the color returned to the world around her. There were groans behind her, and Nerr looked back to see Azura and Jakob trying to sit up. The butler rubbed his head, his silver hair coming loose from it's braids.

     “Ugh... what happened? It feels like I was hit by an ox cart...”

    _|I'm so sorry. I forget the fall can be rather long...|_

     “Who said that?” He looked around, wincing as he turned his head. “It sounded like... Lilith? Where are you?” Against the brilliant blue sky, a small creature, no larger than a cat, swooped down to rest before the inquisitive butler.

      _|Here I am, Jakob. I'm so glad to see you again.|_ Both he and Azura gasped as they stared at the fish-like animal, her tail swaying to and fro as she seemingly swam in place.

     “Nerr? What is this thing? Where are we?” Sighing deeply, the Nohrian princess allowed herself to lay back on the warm stones, the grass that sprouted through the cracks making her back itch, but she was too tired to move.

     “Azura, this is Lilith. She is- or rather, _was_ , my equerry. As to where we are... that's an explanation better left up to her.” As the piscine dragon explained for the second time the existence of the strange pocket of paradise, Nerr let her thoughts wander. What was going on back on the battlefield? Surely at least Takumi had seen three people (well, two and one dragon) vanish in a flash of light, but what of the others?

Was Xander still attempting to hunt her down? Could Camilla have seen what happened from the air? And what of Leo and Elise? Would they assume their brother would bring her back? What would happen when she didn't return? Tears, unbidden, unwanted, but unstoppable all the same, sprang into her eyes as her entire body shook from ragged nerves. Lilith had told her she was safe here, but it felt like a tenuous safety; the safety a child felt hiding under their covers. In the back of her mind, Nerr knew it could easily be ripped away, but she was so very tied... Rolling onto her side, the princess curled into a tight ball and allowed herself a few moments of rest.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Choices, choices... I'm terribly sorry for the lack of combat- that's something I need to ease myself back into, and honestly, I found.... all of Revelation ch.7 to be terrible. Just god awful and boring, and I needed to rework some of that to keep my brain from imploding. Seriously; in Revelation proper, Ryouma and Xander are so fucking retarded, it's a miracle they can wipe their asses without starting a war, much less run a country... Things are going to be a little different in this route than the others (as you can see, the Astral Realm wasn't a one-and-done deal this time!), and I'm definitely coming out of my comfort zone when it comes to elements I'm trying to add. I appreciate every single person who's read this far, regardless of whether or not you actually like any of it. Thank you so much.


	4. The Sunken Paradise

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Ch.4- “The Sunken Paradise”

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Time seemed to stand still in the Astral Plane, but as Lilith reminded them, that was because it was, at least moving slower than the world they'd temporarily left behind. To the point that, when she checked the outside world again, night had fallen, and the battle had been over for hours.

     “I suppose that's why I'm so hungry...” Jakob muttered to himself. At once, he was at Nerr's side, at attention even as he tried to face her on his hands and knees. “What of you, milady? Surely you must be starving. I know not what grows in this unnatural place, but say the word and I'll whip you up a feast regardless.” The princess responded by curling up tighter, covering her face from the lingering rays of light with her arms.

     “I'm not hungry.”

     “I can't imagine how that's even possible.” Azura said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I don't remember you eating once in Hoshido. It's only been a few hours and I'm already hungry...”

     “I'm used to it.”

     “Regardless, it's still quite odd.” The butler shook his head, though he looked thoughtful. “Perhaps it's a side effect of your-- er... condition. I had heard that wyverns can go days without eating, even months in the winter. Animals are such fascinating creatures-- n-not that I'm saying _you're_ an animal, milady--”

     “You should be. I am.” She was a beast, a mindless creature thought to be long dead. Takumi's cruel, hateful words from that day in Shirasagi rang in the back of her mind, _Not extinct enough..._ Jakob frowned slightly at the ball of despair that was his mistress, sitting back on his heels.

     “I'm afraid I don't understand anything that's been going on. My head is all a-dither...” Azura frowned as well, though hers was much less about concern or confusion.

     “Then why are you here? Why didn't you return to Nohr?” Despite herself, Nerr found her ears perking up, eager to know the answer as well. After all, Jakob didn't _have_ to be here- she'd given him no orders, and even if she had, he had the free will to choose whether or not to follow her. Just like she did when Garon ordered her to go to the canyon, just like Xander did when Garon ordered him to start a war... The butler sat up a bit straighter as he spoke, his voice overflowing with pride.

     “It's simple, really; I'm here because Lady Nerr is here. There are no 'ifs', 'ands', nor 'buts'; my loyalty to my ladyship is non-conditional. Where she goes, I follow... even if it _is_ some strange, half-world that probably shouldn't exist. And even if it's because both Nohr and Hoshido have turned against her.” The butler paused, gathered his thoughts and once more turned towards the prone figure of his mistress. “Lady Nerr? It's really now only just occurred to me, but... do you actually have a plan going forward? I couldn't imagine you dealing with Hoshido willingly after they so rudely abducted you, but Prince Xander is spitting nails. I'm afraid that aside from myself, Lilith, and... this young woman-”

     “Azura.”

     “Whatever- you don't have many friends to call upon.”

Nerr forced herself to sit up, wrapping her arms around her shins and resting her head on her knees. He was right. Aside from the three people there with her, there really was no one. _Maybe_ Flora and Felicia, but what good would it do anyone to embroil themselves into her problems? _Maybe_ Elise, but how could that not be construed as her trying to turn her little sister against the rest of their siblings just as Xander had accused her of? If only Xander were in her corner... or Gunther... Whimpering, she dug her nails into her skin and allowed herself a tiny sob. Lilith floated closer, her warmth comforting.

    _|There there, milady. Don't give into despair. You've made it this far, haven't you?|_

     “I don't know. Have I?” She asked, her voiced muffled by her knees. “For all I know, I'm floating face down in the lake, or at the bottom of the Chasm with Gunther. I feel like the whole world's gone mad; or at the very least, I have.” The singer and her retainer both startled at her words, though for different reasons undoubtedly.

     “What?”

     “What do you mean the old man's at the bottom of the Chasm? What happened!?” Feeling sick to her soul, Nerr told Jakob what had transpired in his absence. Without her realizing, Lilith had positioned herself across the princess' lap, and while it would be an affront at any other time, now she took comfort in being able to hold something warm and unmistakably alive as she relived accounts of death. Jakob's face remained impassive during the majority of her recollection, though he did express both horror and outrage as she told him how she'd nearly been pulled to her own death within the chasm. Azura remained silent, her golden eyes growing darker and darker with each sentence. By the time she was done, Nerr felt exhausted, both mentally an physically, but a tiny part of her was relieved that at least now, her motives were somewhat clear.

     “There was no way Father didn't know the forts at the Chasm were occupied by Hoshidan troops. He sent us there specifically to instigate tensions. If we had been killed, he could claim the war was retaliation. If we were captured, it would be twisted into a rescue mission. But I don't know why--”

     “He must have been certain you would be captured and brought before Mikoto, Nerr. Why else would he give you a sword that--”

     “I don't care why he sent _me_ , Azura! Why did he have Gunther killed?! He didn't do anything wrong! There was no point in that; it was just cruel and evil and--” The princess felt her voice break, and she buried her face in her hands, weeping openly. How disgusting, how shameful to lose control of herself, and in front of her retainer no less, but she could not stop herself. Jakob reached out, drawing her head onto his shoulder as he stroked her hair.

     “Shhh... there's no need for tears, milady. I'm certain he died proudly, protecting his liege.” Despite his attempts at comfort, the butler's words only inspired her to wail louder. “Please, don't cry! He was old; he'd most likely die soon anyway! I mean-- he's... _probably_ in a better place... or something.” Azura shook her head in disappointment, her voice a dry whisper.

     “How can you be so, _so_ bad at comforting another human being?” Leaning forward, she lightly touched Nerr's foot, the only part of her she could easily reach. “You say he was alive when he fell into the Chasm?” The teal-haired girl nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Of course he had been; no corpse could look that terrified as the darkness consumed them. “Then there may be hope yet. In fact, this might be fate...”

     “Oh, shut up, Azura! There is no such thing as fate. People live and die senselessly and for no reason. I refuse to believe that innocent people are 'destined' to suffer.”

     “Then, do you mean to take control of your life? Or are you going to sit here in this half-existence and wallow in self-pity for the rest of your days?” Looking up at the singer, her sorrow was forgotten in lieu of anger.

     “You insolent, hypocritical little--”

     “You've stopped crying. That's good.” Azura got to her feet, dusting off the back of her dress as she looked to the sky. It was darker than the sky became in Hoshido, but not quite the impermeable darkness of Nohr. “We need to go to the Chasm; I can explain everything I know there.” Looking back at the still fuming girl on the ground, her gaze softened ever so slightly. “I know you don't trust me, Nerr. But if nothing else, trust that I want what's best for Hoshido just as you want what's best for Nohr. And both countries torn apart by bloodshed is not going to do anything but make people on _both_ sides suffer.” Nerr remained silent, but slowly got to her feet. It wasn't that the singer's words stirred something in her heart; she was no great orator. But she had nothing else to do, no other plans, nothing to fall back on. She had sat around feeling sorry for herself before, and all it lead to was her feeling even _more_ sorry for herself. It was an unpleasant cycle.

     “Alright. Let's go.”

000

Lilith returned them to the Hoshidan plains. She told Nerr that she would keep an eye on them if enemy troops suddenly appeared, but warned that they should avoid the Chasm. It was known as a death trap for a reason. Azura was strangely dismissive of the equerry's warning. It was odd she would seem so blasé about death, given the way she stared at the killing field. The battle had ended, but the evidence of what had happened there remained. Broken weapons littered the blood-soaked ground, massive patches of grass burned away. Bodies, in varying states of wholeness, were scattered around like a child's toys. It was mostly Nohrian soldiers, their armor shorn and scorched, but as far as Nerr knew, that may simply have been because the Nohrian army had been unable (or unwilling) to carry their dead back with them as they retreated. For the most part, the cadavers in Hoshidan robes were in much worse condition, most of them with mangled, if not outright missing limbs. Skulls crushed, bowels strewn like streamers... She could only imagine how many more bodies now lined the streets of Shirasagi.

As the small group made their way west, the air grew darker and darker with flies, their buzzing incessant as they began to feast upon the remains. Nerr and Jakob walked at a steady pace, but Azura seemed unused to traveling such distances on foot. She frequently had to stop to catch her breath, but surprisingly, she did not complain once. Even as they made their way up the crag and the sharp rocks left cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, the singer simply grit her teeth and endured the pain in silence. Nerr was impressed. Azura's hands were as soft as the rest of her must have been- the hands and body of someone who had never handled a weapon or endured any physical discomfort. Even with her callouses and endurance built up over years of training, the jagged, uneven cliff face drew blood as her shins were scraped. The thin linen of her tights provided almost no protection, and the memory of her armor left to rot in Hoshido made her nauseous.

One saving grace was that Jakob revealed as they finally made it onto level ground that he had her pack on his person, meaning that she would at the very least have something new to change into. That was good, as her current ensemble was in shambles, torn and frayed and probably good for nothing more than rags at this point. She hadn't expected to be wearing the same clothes for a fortnight when she dressed. Azura was worse off, as she doubled over, coughing and gagging while she tried to catch her breath. The long white shift she wore had darkened to a disgusting brownish gray. A large, rust-colored splotch marred the ruffled hemline where Nerr had used it to staunch her own bleeding. Long cerulean hair was in disarray, with all manner of detritus tangled within the mussed locks. The silly girl wasn't even wearing tights- instead, donning some ridiculous half stocking that was surely for decorative purposes only. Dark, unseemly bruises mottled the exposed flesh of her left leg where it had been _struck against the rocks, tumbling down into the darkness, looking for anything to grip and being battered by the sharp protrusions--_ Nerr whimpered, rubbing her eyes until bright spots exploded behind them in a vain effort to unsee her memories.

     “Oh gods... why am I here...?”

     “That's a question I was wondering myself, milady. While it seems unlikely any sane person would look for us here, there's a very good reason for that.” He turned towards the singer, who was stretching with a pained wince. “You don't intend for us to hide out here until the war blows over, do you?”

     “Of course not. This war is only just beginning.”

     “Oh. Well, I suppose that's--”

     “We're going down _there_.” Both Norhians followed the direction she was pointing to, leading them to one of the many dark trenches lined with rickety bridges. At once, they both descended on her in a fit of pique.

     “Oh, _fuck_ no! You must be out of your gods' damned mind, Azura!”

     “Are you _trying_ to kill us?! Is this some Hoshidan mind fuckery?!”

     “No. I assure you, I am being completely sincere. The best place- no. The _only_ place we can be safe from soldiers on either side right now is at the bottom of the canyon.” Jakob laughed humorlessly.

     “Well, you have a point; no will find us down there, that's for sure... because we'll be _dead!”_ The songstress ignored his valid complaint, walking over to one of the bridges. The sky rumbled with thunder and lightning carved jagged wounds into the clouds, but the air remained dry. Azura inhaled deeply, and Nerr wondered if she could smell it as well as she could.

     “I swear to you both; death does not wait at the bottom of this ravine. Not now. At least, not in the way you're thinking.”

     “Azura, you need to learn to word things better, because that does _not_ inspire confidence.” The blunette princess turned to face her.

     “If you want proof that you're not crazy, Nerr, you'll find it down there. Really, what do you have to lose?” The answer on the tip of her tongue was “my life” but in truth, hadn't she already lost that? Everything she knew to be true was a lie, the people she thought would always be there for her had proven ephemeral, and death, be it of the body or soul, awaited her on both sides of the continent. While she stewed her in thoughts, Azura climbed over the ancient frayed rope that held the bridge up. With her heels on the very edge of the rotting planks, she inhaled deeply, her face unbelievably calm. “Trust me; I have no intention of dying yet.” And with that last cryptic sentiment, she released her hold on the rope, falling forward into the darkness.

     “AZURA!!!” Nerr rushed forward, her heart pounding so fiercely she thought she would die of it. There was a fleeting flash of white, but it was consumed by the dark just as quickly as Gunther had been. She could already picture Azura hitting the bottom, exploding into a crimson puddle that slowly decomposed, leaving only bones and worm-eaten white cloth beside rusted armor.

     “Ugh! Good gods, I think I'm going to be sick!” She barely registered Jakob's voice as she stared into the darkness.

 

_Nerr..._

 

A shudder coursed down her spine. It was the same voice that had hounded her relentlessly in Hoshido, spurring her into action. Action that could have very well killed her. That would've killed anyone less lucky (or perhaps more lucky). Had she not, in this very place, thought it would be better to simply die than live an empty, meaningless existence? Breathing deeply, Nerr followed Azura's lead, stepping over the rope. Her pulse was erratic, to the point of making her dizzy, but strangely, her mind felt clear and calm.

     “Lady Nerr!” The bridge swayed violently as Jakob ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and attempting to pull her back. “What are you doing!? Stop this! You don't mean to follow that lunatic, do you!?”

     “Jakob... I have no expectation for you to follow me. In fact... the best way I can thank you for following me all this time is to dismiss you.”

     “What!?”

     “Go back to Nohr, Jakob. If anyone asks where you were, tell them I captured you and you escaped.”

     “What...? N-no! No, Lady Nerr!!” Throwing his arms off her, the princess jumped. As she rose into the air, it felt like she was floating, but at once, she was pulled down into the darkness.

Her hair whipped about her face, obscuring her view, but it wasn't as though she could've seen anything regardless. The darkness was so absolute it almost _felt_ solid around her, as though it was pressing down on her body. As the air buffeted her, her body tumbled, knocking against the sharp rocks, Occasionally, the Yato would scrape the protruding boulders, the resulting sparks producing light, but not enough to see by. Nerr reached up, pressing one hand over her chest, not to calm her heart- if it was going to burst from terror, she would not be able to stop it- but to keep her dragonstone from dislodging from her brassier. Even holding it through her clothes, it produced a soothing cool against her palms. The other closed over the pin in her hair, holding it firmly in place. It was the only thing on her person that actually had any value, that actually _needed_ to be protected. But the pressure, the sensory deprivation, and the nauseating vertigo proved to be too much, and the last thing the princess felt as she collided with a particularly large rock were her senses leaving her.

000

Nerr's body felt as though it was filled with lead and sunken in molasses. Her head pounded fiercely, and she could taste blood and bile in her mouth, but disgusting and horrible as it all was, she was alive. At least, she _assumed_ she was. How could she feel so bad and be dead? Unless she was in Hell... Reluctantly, she groaned and opened her eyes. At first, all she could see was blurry colors, but they quickly came into focus. It would be easy to assume she was back in Hoshido, but... she had never seen so many clouds in the east. There were more clouds than sky, to the point that the sky looked like patches visible through torn holes. Dotted along the misty sky were dark shapes, like little islands floating in a large lake... islands... in the sky. Breathing heavily, Nerr forced herself to get up, nearly falling back down as the world spun beneath her feet. Lush green grass dotted with tiny white flowers beside a lake. This was almost exactly where she had woken up after what she could only assume had been drowning.

Looking back up, the sky rippled, as though a giant hand had waved through it's surface. The movement made her feel sick, and she gagged slightly, backing up. Her heels hit something solid, and the princess found herself back on the ground, staring at a white and purple lump. _'Jakob...'_ Had he followed her, or had she accidentally pulled him in with her? Why wasn't he moving? Had he hit one of the rocks so hard it crushed his skull? Bile spilled over her lips, and it was all Nerr could do to lean over and vomit, the foul liquid splashing over her hands as she retched. The grass rustled, dead blades and withered flowers crunching softly as someone stepped over it. A pair of thin hands grabbed her long hair, pulling it away from her face. It took several long seconds before her retching became dry heaves, and finally subsided.

     “Oh... oh gods...”

     “Feeling better?” Azura asked. Her nonchalant tone disgusted Nerr, and she climbed to her feet, breathing hard as she fought to stay upright.

    “No! How can you be so calm about all this?! Where are we, what is this place?! Why is Jakob dead?!”

     “He isn't.” The blunette replied simply. She knelt down, rolling the older man onto his back. He groaned in protest and attempted to return to his prior position.

     “Jakob!” The Nohrian princess ignored her burgeoning migraine, throwing herself onto her retainer and pulling him into a seated position. “You're alive! Oh, thank the gods you're alive! I couldn't bear to lose you too!!”

     “Ughhh... of... of course I am. I would give up my life if my lady commanded it, but until you explicitly do, I think I'd rather live...” Despite his assurance that he was fine, he leaned rather heavily on Nerr's shoulder. She rubbed his back for a moment, trying to push down her own nausea, before sitting back on her haunches. Aside from the additional cuts and bruises, she was alright, at least on the outside. Her organs felt like they had shifted during her fall and, having felt her organs _literally_ shift under her skin no less than twice already, she didn't make that claim lightly.

     “I'm glad you're both alright.” Azura said, smiling ever so slightly. “I know coming here takes some getting used to.”

     “And where exactly _is_ 'here'?” The butler asked, tucking his loosened hair behind his ears. “This looks like something torn out of a fever dream- that house is upside down!” He pointed to one of the many islands drifting along lazily. It was indeed turned on it's head, so that the dilapidated cottage that sat on it's surface was inverted. Clumps of earth fell from it, but other than that, it seemed intact.

     “...I've been here before...” Nerr whispered. This was the exact lake, those were the exact ruins she had seen... “I thought I was dead...”

     “You weren't dead then, and you aren't dead now, Nerr. This is the halidom of Valla. It was once a peaceful, beautiful land. Now... it's as close to Hell as the living can come.” Nerr stared at her, agape.

     “How do you--”

     “Shh.” The princess looked about, her brows furrowed as she slowly cast her eyes along the seemingly peaceful landscape. “...they aren't here yet, but if we linger, they will be.”

     “What?”

     “The creatures that attacked in Shirasagi. We have to hide. Follow me, but be very quiet; they're attracted to loud noises.” Exchanging a glance, the Nohrians got to their feet and followed Azura as she led them past piles of broken masonry and rusted metal. Some of the ruins looked like they could've been the foundation of homes, while others appeared to be the bases of monuments.

Regardless of what they were, nearly everything had been partially or entirely reclaimed by the earth. Moss and ferns and all manner of fungi covered every surface, some even forming patches amidst the grass. There was a path Azura lead them around that, despite it's now verdant nature had clearly been well traveled at one point. Buckets and hoes and the occasional crude lance lay amidst the overgrown wilderness, all broken and rusted beyond viable use. People had lived here once, but now... there was no sign of life. Not even the faintest buzzing of insects. Nerr wanted to question the unnatural nature of this twisted land, but she could not bring herself to break the silence even as it weighed heavily on her.

 

_Nerr..._

 

She prayed they'd reach their destination soon; she had no desire to be alone with her thoughts any longer.

After several minutes of walking, the small group came upon an opening set within a cliff that turned on it's side at a sharp ninety-degree angle. Jakob expressed concerns that it looked ready to break off and crush them at any moment, but Azura assured them both it was perfectly safe.

     “I've been here plenty of times.” She said lightly, stepping into the darkness. Nerr followed, having had more than enough of blue skies and fertile land for one day. The inside of the cave was cool and damp- somewhere in the distance, water dripped, the echo impossibly loud. It was hard to tell where any sounds were coming from; they seemed to surround them. It was not as dark as she would've assumed, though.

Luminous moss and mushrooms provided a gentle glow, just enough light for her to see that the rock was a bit too smooth in places, the angles leading off to other corridors a bit too sharp. It had been carved, either by hand or magic, but definitely by a sentient being. The singer walked over to one of the more well lit walls, sitting down in the ethereal glow. Basked in blue and green light, she looked like some kind of spirit or fairy. Given the reputation the fair folk had, that did little to put Nerr's mind at ease.

     “We should be safe here, at least for now. They tend to stay near water.”

     “What stays near water? What on earth are you talking about?” Jakob asked, frustration creeping into the confusion in his voice. Azura sighed, suddenly looking exhausted.

     “I think I should start from the beginning. At least, the beginning as far as I know. As I've said, this is Valla. Centuries ago, it was one of the great kingdoms, alongside Nohr and Hoshido. In fact, from what I'd heard, many Hoshidans and Nohrians even immigrated here. There were bountiful harvests, a stable economy, social equality... I'd only ever heard it described as a paradise. ...until Anankos came.” The singer's face darkened as her lips twisted into a hateful scowl.

     “...Who's Anankos?” Nerr asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

     “Not who. _What_. A cruel, hateful scourge that murdered our king, forced our exalt to flee, and claimed the throne for himself, laying waste to everything in his path.”

     “Wait.” Jakob approached the sitting girl. “Are you saying _one_ person is responsible for the destruction of an entire kingdom?” Nerr had honed onto a different part of Azura's rant.

     “...what do you mean ' _our'_ king, ' _our'_ exalt? What is an exalt? How do you know all of this? Are you... is this... were you were born, Azura?” The blunette nodded silently. “But--! I thought you were King Garon's daughter! How can you be from here?!”

     “Nerr, keep your voice down!” The singer hissed sharply, her words drowned out at the end by a gurgling wail that didn't sound like it came from a human throat. It bounced off the walls, before growing louder, louder, as more monstrous voices joined in.

     “What in the gods' name is that?!” Jakob spun around, searching for the source of the demonic clamor in the darkness.

     “Are we surrounded?” Nerr asked, quickly untying her golden sword. “Should we get out of here?”

     “No! They'll only follow us outside, and if they do, even _more_ will show up. We need to go in deeper; there's another way out at the back of the cave.” Climbing to her feet, the singer began scraping the glowing moss and mushrooms from the wall of the cave, gathering enough in her hands to form a sort of makeshift lantern. Rushing past them, she looked back over her shoulder as she came to the first corner. “Come on!” Nerr and Jakob quickly followed her as she turned to the left. The sparse light threw odd shadows along the walls, shifting strangely as they made their way forward. Suddenly, the singer stopped short, causing the others to nearly run into her. They had reached a chamber, slightly larger than the one at the entrance of the cave.

     “What is it?” Jakob asked, gripping his dagger tightly.

     “Do you hear that?” Aside from the demonic gurgling noises, there was something else, fainter, but at the same time, closer. A quiet squelching... like someone stepping through viscous liquid. The sour odor grew stronger.

     “Azura, get back!” Before the singer could question her, Nerr grabbed her arm and pulled her back behind the armed fighters. The cavern grew darker, but only for a moment. Puddles of thick, congealed fluid slithered along the dusty floor, rising upwards and forming humanoid shapes. Violet fire that sucked the warmth from the air as it roared to life sent light dancing across the cave. It would've looked almost... pretty... if not for the disturbing source.

Brandishing rusted spears and swords, the insidious creatures lumbered towards them, their forms almost human but their gait an uneven shamble. They staggered and lunged at their prey. Jakob stared at the creatures, his jaw as slack as the grip on his weapon. Gasping in pain as the nearest one raked it's corroded lance across his chest, the butler fell back. With a battle cry perhaps too loud given the situation, Nerr charged at the creatures. The Yato sang as it cut through the air, feeling much lighter and easier to wield than the iron swords and wooden wasters she trained with. It was like an extension of her arm, and she managed to cleave both weapons, and their slimy carriers into pieces. The thick liquid splashed across her legs as it's body collapsed.

     “Wh- what _are_ these things!? They're like-- like ghosts!”

     “Jakob, don't think about it- just kill them!”

     “Can you even kill a ghost?!?” He put forth, his voice quavering just a touch even as he stepped forward. Nerr brought her blade down on another creature's arm, severing the watery limb.

     “Well, I clearly am!” Even with one arm lost, this one did not go down easily. Lowering it's shoulder, it ran at a quicker speed than she would have anticipated, charging into her. Despite being liquid, it left a very solid impact, colliding with her chest. The princess was knocked to the ground, the breath knocked out of her. With a grunt of effort, Jakob drove his dagger into the monster's back, pulling it down, tearing open the membrane that held it together. With a distorted death rattle, the creature quivered and dissolved into a sickly puddle. The butler leaned against the damp cave wall, breathing hard, his eyes wide.

     “...what in all the hells _was_ that!? It was like a-- a wight made of water! It was on fire!”

     “They are what remains of Anankos' victims.” Azura whispered, her voice soft but filled with a deep seated pain... and sorrow. “They're the shapes of people who have died, used as pawns to do his bidding. Anything that was left of who they once were has long since rotted away. Now, they only exist to destroy...” Nerr scowled at the ground as she sat up. They were more visible in this hellhole than they had been in Hoshido; Jakob saw them easily. But that wasn't what concerned her now, nor the realization that she was now essentially doused in the liquid remains of a corpse.

     “The ground...”

     “Hm? Lady Nerr, is something wrong?”

     “Look at the ground...” The almost sense of awe in her voice was a combination of shock, confusion, and more than a dash of disgust. Where the bodies had melted onto the ancient stone, vivid patches of vegetation now grew. The very same manner of moss, ferns, even minuscule flowers that had covered so much of the ruins outside. A soothing, herb-like scent wafted up, overtaking the stale air. If she hadn't already emptied her stomach vomiting earlier, she'd be retching her lungs out now. “Oh gods, it's people...!” She managed to choke out, backing away from the beautifully macabre sight. The serene wilderness outside that almost looked like something out of a fairy despite being in shambles was in reality nothing more than putrefaction. “It's all dead people! Why is it people!?”

     “This is no garden variety usurper we're up against.” Jakob rounded on Azura, bearing down on her. “What manner of unholy sorcery have you gotten us tangled up in?! Answer me; what is this Anankos, and how do we keep him from doing the same to us!?” The singer stared back at him for a long moment, but slowly looked away. She wrapped her arms around herself, and judging by the way the light shook over the walls, she was trembling.

     “You can't. You can only hope you'll be lucky.”

     “Then why the hell did you drag us here just to die?!”

     “Because it's going to happen regardless of where you are!” Azura yelled back, her normally stoic expression snapping to anger before quickly melting into misery. “I thought I could forget about it. I thought it was done with, but it's not. My mother tried to warn King Garon about him, but it was all for nothing!” Sniffling, she looked up at Nerr, her eyes misty. “Vallite soldiers are drawn to Vallite magic. If King Garon gave you that sword, then he's in league with Anankos, and if that's the case, the war won't stop with Hoshido being conquered. _This_ ,” She waved her hand around the cave, gesturing to the world around them. “Is what will befall Hoshido, Nohr, and _everything_ if he gets his way. I... I don't want everything to be destroyed...!”

Dropping her head so that her face was hidden by a curtain of hair, the singer sobbed quietly. Nerr stared at her, her head pounding in time to the stifled gasps. Azura's words were like an itch in her brain that grew worse by the second- the urge to bash her head against the rocks was overwhelming. Why didn't she tell someone who could _do_ something about this? Someone like Ryoma Sama-- well... she had _tried_ , hadn't she? And he didn't listen to her. She probably tried to warn lots of people and they didn't listen. Maybe... maybe Mikoto _did_ , and that was why she pestered Nerr so much about that damnable sword. Maybe this was payback, for her bringing the forbidden box to be opened... Inhaling deeply through her mouth to try and avoid the leafy perfume, the princess got to her feet. Walking over to the other girl, she placed her hand on the songstress' shoulder, the way Xander always did with her.

     “It's okay, Azura.” She lied. “Everything will be alright. But for now, let's just focus on getting out of here. You know the way, right?” Sniffling, the singer wiped her eyes with her arm.

     “Yes. It's up to the north- we have to go... east, I think.”

     “Alright. Stay behind me. Jakob, bring up the rear.” Shuddering a bit, the silver-haired man nodded sharply, quickly walking behind the singer. Staying close together, the small band carefully made their way through the next corridor. Throughout the winding maze of halls, moans, cries and howls of varying volume and distance echoed, filling the air, giving the impression that they were surrounded. Maybe they were... They passed broken weapons and moss-covered pieces of armor that looked both Nohrian and Hoshidan, a select few scraps of a design that was wholly unfamiliar. Some of it appeared much less rusted than the rest, less overgrown.

     “Azura?” Nerr asked as she adjusted her hold on the Yato. “Do... non-Vallite people end up here? Like we did?”

     “Yes. People fall in all the time. It's rarely the fall that kills them, though- only the lucky ones die that quickly...” Her stomach turned as she forced her gaze away from the armor. Lucky... Maybe Gunther had been lucky... Swallowing, the princess breathed deeply, nearly gagging on the malodor of rust and decay.

Somewhere, just out of sight, there was a faint sound of liquid bubbling, like a kettle boiling violently. Jakob's breath hitched, and the group suddenly compressed. The thud of heavy footfalls shook drops of condensation from the ceiling, a faint sloshing accompanying every step. A noise low, wet noise, like something crying out under water, creeped under their skin. Praying nothing appeared to flank them, Nerr pushed the others back into the narrow corridor just as the first tendrils of flame became visible. This fire burned much stronger than usual, nearly illuminating the chamber completely. They still only licked at the creature's feet, but these feet were much larger than the other walking dead they had encountered. The entire being was massive, a monolithic amalgamation of parts. Four legs- no, six- two vestigial limbs flopped uselessly as an almost equine body lumbered into the room. Rusted armor floated within the dark, swirling water that composed it's body. Turning a torso that looked too bloated to be human towards the group, it let out a blood-curdling shriek, charging forward with a rusted hammer raised.

     “Move!” Nerr yelled, pushed Azura and Jakob to the ground as she threw herself out of the way. The anvil collided with the ground where her feet had been only seconds ago, the cave floor splitting, sending chips of stone and rust flying. Despite it's size, it's was fast, descending on the princess no sooner than she had gotten back to her feet. She managed to only get one strike in before she had to evade again as it reared up, slamming down liquid hooves shod in corroded shoes behind her. Charging forward, Jakob slashed at it's flank as it focused on the target in front of it. The stinking water splashed onto the ground, but it did not even slow. “Why won't this one die?!” Nerr asked, panic creeping into her voice as she ducked beneath another vicious swing of the hammer and thrust her sword deep into it's side.

     “I don't know!” Azura, who alone never expressed surprise when facing these abominations, now sounded terrified. Her fear was infectious, creeping into Nerr's skin as well. “I-I've never even seen anything like this one before! ...I'm going to try something.”

     “Well, hurry!” Jakob yelled, throwing himself to the ground as malformed hindquarters kicked at him.

 

     “ _You are the ocean's gray waves... destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

A soft blue light joined the harsh violet as Azura's warbling voice filled the chamber. Just as it had in Shirasagi, the air quickly grew saturated with droplets of water, sparkling and refracting the light from her pendant. Screeching, the monster thrashed a bit, liquid sloughing off it's form of it's own accord. As it's arms lost mass, the giant hammer became too heavy for it to lift, the ancient metal passing through it's hands and hitting the ground. No longer having to dodge crushing blows every few seconds, the Nohrians slashed at the behemoth, their blades actually leaving lasting marks this time. With a final shudder, the abomination melted, spreading the decaying detritus contained within it over the floor of the cave. Pieces of armor, cloth, even strips of leather that looked like it belonged to a bridle. Even as Nerr stared at the remains of what must have once been a knight, tender buds and shoots sprouted and bloomed over wet ground in a ripple.

     “I'm not sure I can do this.” Jakob lamented, reaching up to wipe his brow with the least viscera-stained part of his sleeve. “Soldiers, assassins; I would even take on the legions of Hell for my liege. But _this_? Forgive my language, but Fuck. This.”

     “I understand.” Azura sounded unusually out of breath as she spoke. “And I'm so sorry for dragging you into this... Both of you.”

     “You didn't.” Nerr sighed, feeling very tired suddenly. “Garon dragged me into this, and I dragged Jakob into it. All you've done is explain exactly how dire this situation is, and if nothing else, I appreciate not being in the dark on such matters.” She had just begun to replace her sword at her side when a quiet clank in the distance caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. “ _ **No**_. No no no... I don't know what that is, but I'm not going to wait for it to find _me_ this time.” Tip toeing around the lush patch, the princess crept forward, keeping her blade held at the ready. She could hear the others behind her, their steps mixing with the discordance of the scraping, groaning, and metallic creaking. She kept low to the ground as she walked, so the illuminated growths on the cavern walls provided as much light as possible. Rasping breaths grew louder as they proceeded further into the darkness.

     “Lady Azura?” Jakob asked, his voice tense.

     “Yes?”

     “These... beings. Do they bleed... _blood?”_

     “Never that I've seen.”

     “...then who was down here before us?” Nerr looked back to see her retainer pointing at something she had passed without noticing. As Azura lifted her hands, her makeshift lantern cast enough light to reveal several black splotches on the already dark stone. Some dripped down, while others smeared, leading in the direction they were going.

     “Someone must have been injured down here. Judging by the color of these stains, I'd say it happened a while ago. They're probably long dead.” Though her words were broad, Nerr could not shake the feeling that the singer was speaking directly to her. Every word struck her heart and left her mouth tasting of bile. The scraping, shuffling sound was growing louder, drilling into her skull, her brain. She bit her lip until the cracked skin split and she tasted iron. If Gunther had landed down here alive, those ungodly things probably tore him apart. Or worse, made him into one of them. Blinking away the burning in her eyes, the princess stormed forward, too disgusted and heartsick to consider being cautious anymore.

     “Milady! Slow down!” Jakob hissed, chasing after her, Azura hot on their heels. Nerr didn't know or care if these monsters felt pain- she would imagine they did as she tore apart the next one she came across. She could hear it in the darkness. The stench of rot overtook the smell of stagnant water. She stopped quickly, keen eyes widening to let in every ray of light. She could see something moving, a solid mass that reeked of death shuffling closer. Gritting her teeth until her jaw hurt, the princess launched into an attack, intent on taking down the beast before it had a chance to prepare. Just as she drew back the Yato, preparing to cleave the miscreation in twain, the barest hint of a familiar smell reached her. A faint whiff, all but masked by putrefaction. Skidding to a halt, she stumbled, dropping the sword as she fell to her knees. Pounding boots and bare feet stopped shot behind her.

     “Lady Nerr!”

     “Nerr?!” She ignored them, staring up at the shadow, eyes wide, hands trembling on the filth caked ground.

     “...Gunther?” She sounded like a small child, calling out into the darkness, praying it was not a monster that responded. Large hands, big enough to enclose her skull easily, reached down, grabbing her. In her mind's eye, she envisioned herself being torn apart in a shower of gore. She was lifted to her feet and drawn, not into a crushing vice, but against cold armor.

     “My lady...!” A voice she had not heard in well over a fortnight cried out, strained and hoarse and weaker than she ever remembered, but still the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

     “Are you really alive?” She asked, not particularly caring what the answer was. Jakob certainly seemed to, as she ran forward, his blade aloft.

     “He's one of them! One of the ghost monsters! Move aside, milady; I'll kill it!”

     “Jakob?” For a moment, the knight sounded shocked... before his tone clearly changed to exasperated anger. “Boy, if you don't stop brandishing that butter knife at me, it's going so far up your ass, you'll taste steel for a week.”

     “It really is you! You really are alive!!” Nerr tried to choke back the tears clouding her vision, but every time she blinked, they spilled down her cheeks.

     “What's going on?” Azura's voice wavered as she tentatively stepped into the chamber. She had gotten halfway into the room when she gasped and recoiled, the light she carried growing dimmer as she dropped it. “Oh gods!”

     “What the hell?!” Jakob sounded just as shocked, as disgusted as the singer did.

     “What's your problem?” Nerr asked, unable to keep the anger from creeping into her voice. How dare they sound upset? Well, Azura may have only seen a Nohrian solider, but Jakob should've been just as elated as she was. As she turned around to face them, intent on chastising them, something dropped into her hair. Reaching up, she hurriedly brushed it away, shuddering as her hand came into contact with something damp and squishy. Good lord, were those things hanging from the ceiling as well!?

Looking up, her expression quickly faded from fear to blank shock, her hand falling to her side limply. Thoughts _tried_ to form in her mind, but were interrupted the moment they took shape. There was still light, not much but enough for her keen eyes to make out the shapes above her. Gunther looked down at her, his expression tired but filled with relief. At least, half of it. She had assumed for a few precious seconds that the other side of his face was simply too far from the light, but she could see it quite well... what was left of it. A gaping darkness that seemed to writhe like thousands of ants covered the other half. She did not exclaim in shock or recoil in horror or disgust- in truth, Nerr was certain that even if she had wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to. Her jaw was locked, her throat too tight to even breathe. She managed to eek out a single question.

     “...what happened...?” The knight sighed, slumping forward. He looked so old, so exhausted.

     “In truth, I'm not entirely sure.” The more he spoke, the more she could make out a slight lisp, as though he couldn't open his mouth all the way (or simply was unwilling to). When his jaw moved, something fell onto Nerr's arm. Her eyes, growing accustomed to the darkness, could easily make out the disgustingly familiar squirming of maggots. Swallowing hard, she furtively shook them off. “I lost consciousness as I fell, and I awoke to find myself injured. It was all I could do to drag myself in here... I heard voices and...” He trailed off, groaning and swaying on his feet. The princess reached out to steady him.

     “Don't talk anymore. We're going to get you out of here. Jakob, carry him; I'm going to scout ahead.” Despite his lips still twisted into a displeased scowl, the butler approached, holding out his arm. Gunther pushed it away, returning the younger man's frown with interest.

     “No... I'm not lame yet. I will... fight alongside you, my lady--”

     “The hell you will!” She snapped. “I'll not have you keeling over mere seconds after you've returned to me.” Filled with a newfound determination, she swallowed the bile rising in her gorge and stood up straighter. “Which way, Azura?” With great reluctance, the singer approached her (giving Gunther a wide berth as she passed). Biting her lip, she looked at the splitting path.

     “Umm... right. There should be another chamber, and then a bend that leads to the exit.” She moved ahead, passing Nerr and leading the way. Through the caverns, they could hear wet slithering and the echoes of shrieks and moans. Azura jumped sharply as Jakob swore behind them.

     “Dammit, what's your problem, old man?”

     “I have to get Caractacus; I'll be damned if I leave him behind in this hellhole.”

     “Another person?” The songstress asked, her voice tight.

     “Not quite.” Nerr responded, turning back to her retainers. “Where is he?”

     “There's a chamber... around that corner. It's where I've been hiding all this time.” She nodded.

     “Alright. Azura, you take them ahead; I'll catch up.”

     “Nerr, no! We can't split up- what if you get cornered?”

     “Who cares?! Gunther is hurt; he needs to get out of here. Now, go!” She pushed the singer forward, running past her and turning the corner. The smell of decay and stagnation grew stronger, indicating that she was probably on the right path. She could still hear Jakob and Azura talking- even if they _were_ going on without her, they wouldn't get far at this rate. Reaching a small alcove, the princess retched as the overwhelming stench of blood and rot enveloped her. Covering her nose and mouth, Nerr used the tip of her sword to move aside a pile of bedding that seemed to be a saddle blanket.

     “Caractacus!” She whispered, and a quiet nicker greeted her. Moving deeper into the shadows, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but fortunately, there wasn't anything that seemed unusual. The massive charger was lying down, but at her call, he stood, his barding clanking. Tears prickled her eyes anew, but this time, they were purely happy tears. To think, after all the death and destruction that there would be life untouched by horror in this desolate hellscape of all places. Grabbing the reins, she rubbed the horse's neck reassuringly, leading him out. Surely the additional noise would do nothing but draw attention to her, but she was ready to fight tooth and nail to get out of the cave. Azura and the others were nowhere to be seen, but the Hoshidan (or rather, Vallite) princess' directions remained in her head. To the right, then around the bend.

A splash was all the all the warning she got before the wind behind her whistled. The sound of metal hitting metal made Nerr turned around, just to see sparks showering from the horse's armor. Caractacus started, his panicked whinnies drawing even more attention to their location. Viscous liquid ran down the walls of the cave, collecting in puddles on the floor that rose up into human forms. They pulled from their watery depths the rust coated throwing stars of Hoshidan ninja, hurling them at her with greater speed than her eyes could follow. She raised her arm, hope to at least keep them from her face and throat. While she had been able to withstand them while wearing armor, clad in nothing but thin cloth, they tore through such a paltry barrier easily, the jagged blades digging deep into her flesh.

Groaning as they scraped her muscles and set her nerves aflame, the princess pulled loose her blade, dropping the reins and charging at the monsters. She swung her sword, bisecting one creature, but by the time she had rounded on the others they had vanished. Something wet and slimy oozed over her bare feet, the monster's form reconstituting before she could ready herself, and cutting at her legs. She managed to take it's head off before it melted again, but a heavy blow across her shoulder blades sent her stumbling, smacking her head into the stone wall hard enough to leave white spots exploding behind her closed lids. Eyes bulging in terror, Caractacus reared up, trampling yet another creature as it lumbered towards the princess. Head spinning, Nerr righted herself, grabbing the reins and keeping her sword ready to deflect another blow. Every step left her dizzier and dizzier, and while she longed to stop and rest for just a moment, she forced her feet to keep moving forward. She couldn't rest, not this time. Not until she was certain everyone was safe.

     “Nerr?”

     “Lady Nerr!” The sound of familiar voices gave her the push she needed to make it the last few yards to the corner. Collapsing against the mildew slicked wall, she could hardly focus her vision as Azura approached her.

     “Thank the gods you're alright! We heard a commotion back there--”

     “Water ninjas. Too many of them. We have to go, _now_. _”_

     “We're almost there; I can smell fresh air. Let's-- your arm...”

     “It's fine, I'll deal with it later.” Azura looked unsure, but did not argue the point. She began walking again, but stopped after taking no more than two steps. “What is it?”

     “Don't you feel it?” The terror in her voice was palpable. Nerr wasn't sure she was going on about, but no sooner than she had that very thought did a chill run down her spine, unease congealing in her gut. It was the same horrid feeling she had gotten time and again in Hoshido, every time that whisper in her mind had called her name.

 

 _InTrUdErS_...

 

A low, distorted voice called from the shadows. The Nohrian princess covered her ears without even meaning to; gods above, what _was_ that!? That wasn't the usual voice that spoke to her. To her surprise, no one was staring at her like she had lost her mind; they were all looking around, just as unnerved, as if...

     “Wait... You all heard it too?”

     “Of course we did! What was that?!” Jakob spun about on the spot, his long hair whipping about as he searched in vain. A nauseating sound, like hands digging deep into entrails, surrounded them, closing in from all sides.

     “lEaVe... _NoW_....!!” As the voice spoke, drawing nearer, thick veins snaked across the wall of the cave, pulsating as they spread out like mold. Nerr yelled as a hair-like tendril touched her arm, the cold piercing her flesh.

     “My lady, behind you!” Had she any sense, she'd have simply run at Gunther's warning, but like the fool she was, Nerr turned around just in time to see an undulating mass of limbs rise up. Dozens of arms twined together to form an appendage as thick as a tree trunk, individual fingers still poking out. Writhing. The world grew darker as it swung towards her, less focused and contrasted even as she heard the individual drops of water splashing as they sloughed off. Her arm burned as the skin tore off, her finger unable to move freely as she raised it. A normal limb would've been ripped off. The twisted abomination connected to her shoulder cut through the pillar of water, spraying her and the walls with the foul liquid. As the beast roared, the princess returned to her senses and the world returned to color.

     “Oh gods, run run run!!” Pulling the charger, she followed the others as they ran further into the darkness, the faint glow surrounding Azura their only light. Nerr could practically feel the cold touch of the monsters creeping up her neck as another light, brighter and smaller but growing larger, appeared before them. Putting on an extra burst of speed, she blew past the others into the open air.

     “Are they-- are they following us?” Jakob stared at the cave, his dagger held in both hands.

     “No. But they can. We need to go further--”

     “It's all over me!!!” Now that she was no longer surrounded by shadows that made everything blend together, the teal haired girl could see exactly what the monsters had leaked on her upon their deaths. The front of her blouse, her tights, even her hands and feet were coated in moss and foliage. It looked harmless enough, but remembering where it had come from, what it had once _been_ , meant the soft green was no better than being covered in blood and brain fragments. The longer she stared, the more she could _see_ it, could see the viscera it had once been, dark red clots and slivers of bone and thick clumps of fat... It was burrowing inside her, laying roots in her skin--

     “AAAAHHH!!!” The actual threat long forgotten, Nerr stripped off her overgrown clothes, paying no mind to the shuriken further widening her wounds as she ripped her sleeve over them, and tossed them as far away as she could into the deep grass. All of that was probably people too, mothers and fathers and their children... She may as well have been rolling around in their putrefying corpses.

     “Lady Nerr!” Large, strong hands gripped her wrists, even as she fought them, trying to peel the lichen from her fingers. “Calm yourself! We're not out of danger yet!”

     “No! Get it off of me! Get it off--” She heard the crack of leather against flesh before she actually felt it, the burning, stinging in her cheek.

     “What the ever loving hell is your problem, old man!? You dare strike your ladyship!? Has your brain rotted away as well!?”

     “...Lady Nerr's wellbeing matters more to me than a sense of propriety. You'd do well to learn the same, boy.”

     “He's right, Jakob. They can follow us out here. We're almost somewhere we can speak safely.” Azura discarded her living lantern and began walking, picking her way through the grass. Much to Nerr's relief, Jakob took the reins from her, leading Caractacus. The charger snapped at him, earning an explicit curse from the butler.

She watched them walk ahead, but despite her mind yelling at her to do the same, she could not bring herself to move. Her feet felt stuck fast to the ground, and as soon as she became aware of her feet, she could feel the viscous fluid that must have been blood at some point washing over them, gluing them to the floor as it congealed, just as what had happened back in Castle Krakenburg, _b_ _odies littered the floor where lords and ladies had once gathered to dance, Nohrian armor scorched and punctured, Hoshidan robes torn to shreds. Blood coagulated on the floor_ \-- Whimpering, she clutched her head, the pain coming on seemingly out of nowhere, all at once.

     “My lady...” A deep voice and a warm hand managed to breech the icy haze in her mind. “I know not what suffering you've endured while we were apart... but I _do_ know you are strong enough to endure it a while longer.” Coming from anyone else, those words might have sounded like castigation, but Gunther's tone was gentle, encouraging rather than berating. Were they back at the Citadel, her heart would've fluttered just from being so close to him, but here, in this backwards, inside-out perdition, everything felt so bad and wrong and she just wanted to vomit...

     “You're right.” Nerr nodded, trying to ignore the blistering pain that ran up her neck as she did so. “I'm okay now. Let's go.”

She walked a few steps behind her retainer, telling herself (and him) that she wanted to make sure he didn't collapse and get left behind, but she knew that the real reason was less selfless. It wasn't even about being afraid that he would disappear if she dared look away. ...she didn't want to feel him looking at her. Not now, not in this corrupted graveyard, not when she had looked at him and seen the void that had consumed her in her nightmares. She focused her eyes on the scratched and dented plates of armor, their once gleaming surface now mired in filth. Azura had stopped in an open field, boulders and scrub replacing the lush vegetation. Nerr could not see the rest of the plain; it cut off suddenly, as though the horizon was close enough to touch. Tying Caractacus' reins to a low tree, Jakob walked over to the songstress, and immediately recoiled, nearly tripping over his feet in desperate attempt to get away.

     “Jakob? What is it, what's wrong?” The princess asked, reaching out to grab his shoulders before he fell. Breathing hard, the steward mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds before his voice returned.

     “Th-there's nothing there! _Nothing!_ It just... drops off!” The poor boy shook violently, looking like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Nerr patted his head sympathetically; she knew the feeling all too well.

     “I'm sure it's not as bad as all that, Jakob.” She tried to sound confident despite how weary she felt as she approached the rocks in his place. “It's probably just a manner of forced perspective that-- holy fucking hell, there's nothing there!!” There wasn't even a solid edge- the earth just seemed to... peter out, like a handful of dirt that was constantly crumbling away. All that lay beneath them was what hovered above them as well; misty skies with patches of blue that seemed to be taken from somewhere else. Far off in the distance, she could see darker shadows that must have been other islands. Even as she had looked up at the land masses drifting lazily past, it had never occurred to her that the ground she was standing on wasn't firmly rooted to the earth.

     “What the hell _is_ this place!?” Jakob wailed behind her. Rounding on Azura, Nerr had to will her hands into staying at her sides. They still twitched as though they were wrapped around something very neck-like.

     “You'd better explain _everything_ right stat now, or I'm kicking you off this island.”

     “I've already told you most of what I know. But there is something else, something much more important. If you only remember one thing I tell you, let it be this; never, _ever_ speak of Valla beyond it's borders.” Azura's voice was unusually harsh, cold with a loathing, a resentment that- thankfully- didn't seem directed at them. It was clear that whatever memories were playing behind her eyes were nothing pleasant... “Anankos was not satisfied destroying the land and the people who called it home; he made every effort to destroy the very memory of it.”

     “...And what happens if we _do_ speak of it?” Nerr asked quietly, feeling in the pit of her stomach that she already knew the answer. The singer glanced back towards the cave, shuddering slightly.

     “You stop existing. Every part of you is erased. And it's a slow, painful process, so I suggest you don't tempt fate.”

     “But... if this is where Anankos is, and he's the one colluding with Father to wage this war, then... how am I supposed to tell anyone? I-I have to tell Xander--” Her desperate confusion was interrupted by a loud thud, accompanied by the crash of metal. Whirling about on her heel, Nerr choked out a scream, running back towards the prone form of her retainer. “Gunther! Gunther, are you alright? What happened?!”

He didn't respond, and without thinking, she rolled him over onto his back. Beside her, Jakob gagged, breaking into a coughing fit. It was all she could do not to retch as well. So often as of late, the light seemed to hold more horrors than the darkness. To think fools ever thought the light meant one was safe... Everything had been cast in shadows in the cave, only allowing her an idea of what she was looking at. She had assumed it was bad, but not _this_ bad. The flesh on her knight's face was almost completely rotted away, hanging on only by a few threads of sinew. Within the gaping cavern of flesh, pearly larvae wriggled, their feasting having exposed sticky flecks of bone. Covering her mouth with one hand, despite the pain of every twitch as her muscles contracted around the shuriken that hadn't been dislodged, the princess reached out and brushed scavengers away with trembling fingers.

     “Oh gods... Jakob. Can you heal him?” Pulling a face, the steward looked down at the older man, his face turning the color of sour milk.

     “An injury that severe? Not with just a staff. If we were somewhere with actual supplies, I could do something...”

     “Azura?” Nerr looked over to the songstress, trying to keep her tone even, despite the waver in her words. “How do we get back?”

     “The same way we got here. Jump.” She pointed to the edge of the cliff. “We'll end up back at the Chasm. I'll meet you there.” Before either Nohrian could get a word in, the singer ran a few feet and leapt, appearing to hover in the air for a few seconds before she was dragged down, her lazuline hair remaining for a heart's beat before vanishing with the rest of her.

     “She didn't even hesitate...” Jakob whispered, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

     “And neither will we. I need you to do one of two things, Jakob.” Standing a bit straighter, the silver-haired man raised his chin, looking every bit the dependable retainer Nerr always saw him as.

     “Of course, milady. There is no task too great that I cannot accomplish it so long as you only ask.” She smiled a bit. It put her at ease knowing that she could depend on Jakob's loyalty, even if that of her siblings wavered.

     “Then, I need you to either go down with Gunther or Caractacus.” His bravado deflated a bit, as indigo eyes darted between the knight, his breathing worryingly shallow, and the still tied horse, who was using the time the humans spent worrying to graze on what sparse grass was available. The look on his face spoke to how much he disliked both options, but before Nerr could chastise him for it, the butler knelt down beside her.

     “Very well, Lady Nerr. I swear on my honor I'll bring the old man back in on piece. Well... assuming he's in one piece to begin with.”

     “I'm honestly surprised you didn't choose Caractacus. I know you and Gunther tend to... needle one another.”

     “I'd rather be gelded with a hot spoon than willingly stand near that hell horse.”

The two of them managed to unbuckle the majority of the the steel plates weighing the knight down. When he wore little more than a bloodstained arming coat, Jakob stood, supporting the other man with both hands. During all the commotion, Gunther roused, and he managed to stand under his own weight as Jakob half carried him to the edge of the island. Perhaps it was because they were both so out of sorts, but neither man protested or even hesitated as they leapt into the nothing. Inhaling deeply, Nerr walked over to the charger, packing as many plates of armor into his saddle bags as would fit before untying the reins and walking the horse over to the edge of the land mass.

A breeze tousled to her hair, raising goose flesh over her skin. She had been so upset earlier that she didn't realize that she'd stripped down to her smallclothes. Bruises and cuts covered her flesh... They would heal soon enough. Shaking her head to clear it, Nerr tried to pull the horse closer, but Caractacus dug his hooves into the ground, shaking his head frantically as he struggled with her. She hardly blamed the poor creature for being afraid, but she couldn't be expected to leave him here alone.

Walking behind the horse, she reached into her brassiere and pulled out her dragonstone. Closing her hand tightly around the cold rune, she felt it melt into her hand, running into her veins and coursing through her body. Her body stretched and pulled, tearing apart and growing longer. Now larger and stronger than any horse, Nerr bit her lip (mentally, at least) and turned around, bracing herself to give the poor steed a forceful (but gentle as possible) shove with her own hindquarters.

     “ _I'm sorry!”_ She thought with a wince, unable to quell the guilt rising within her. With a frightful nicker, the mount scrambled to keep his footing, but the ground crumbled beneath his hooves dropping him into the abyss of the sky. Not even caring to change back, Nerr jumped after him, tucking her wings in close to her back as clouds and islands raced past her. As she fell further, the sky grew darker, until there was nothing to use as measure of how fast nor in what direction she was going. Shutting her eyes, she braced for impact. Despite having already survived one fall, she could not shake the thought of hitting the ground so hard it cracked her skull.

The mounting fear and tension broke through the trance of her draconic mind, and as she fell, the princess felt her limbs shrink, thick claws retracting back into her skin to leave only nails, organs shifting back to their normal size and location. Opening her eyes, the darkness slowly grew brighter. Through the mire, she could see gnarled trees and dilapidated forts. Her descent seemed to slow as she grew closer to the ground, but quickened without warning, leaving her in a heap on the cold, sandy rock. Groaning, Nerr sat up, rubbing her throbbing temples. Looking around, she sagged in relief as she saw the others, Jakob struggling to keep Caractacus under control. Climbing to her feet, she staggered over to them, reaching up to calm the startled charger. As he calmed down, she leaned against the grimy steel barding, reaching up unconsciously to feel for her hairpin. Her hair had mostly come loose from the intense wind, but the brass was still tangled within the strands. That alone eased her frayed nerves a touch.

     “How are you feeling, Nerr?” Azura asked quietly. She alone seemed to be unaffected by the turmoil they'd just endured, but then again, perhaps she was just used to it.

     “I'm fine.” The Nohrian girl lied. “Where is Gunther? How is he?”

     “He passed out again.” Jakob sighed, flexing his hands a bit. The lichen-covered gauntlets shook violently. “He's not in good shape.”

     “I'm honestly surprised he managed to survive as long as he has, especially in that condition.” The singer said quietly. “He must be quite an extraordinary knight to have avoided meeting a terrible fate all this time.”

     “He is.” Nerr whispered. “We need to-- to set up camp. We have to plan how... we're going to move forward, and...” Shutting her eyes, the princess slumped forward, the ground seemingly rising as she sank onto it. Her body felt as though it was weighted with lead, but it was all in her mind. The burden of responsibility, of wanting to make things right when it seemed so very impossible, the guilt of wanting nothing more than to just run home and hide under her covers. How did Xander make it seem so easy...?

     “Hmmm... perhaps we might have a solution for _one_ problem, at least for now.” Jakob frowned thoughtfully, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting to the sky. “Lilith!! Lilith, can you hear me?! Where are you, you scaled space-waster??” A flash of light from the corner of their eye drew their attention just as the distortion in the air settled. The mottled dragon hovered lower than usual, her iridescent orb nearly scraping the ground.

    _|Why are you yelling at me this time, Jakob...? What did I do?|_

     “Not enough. Make yourself useful and take us back to your Astral whatsit.”

     “Jakob.” Nerr scolded. “Don't be harsh. We're not at the citadel where you need to bark orders...”

     “Well, clearly I _do_ as nothing gets done otherwise. Just like Felicia...” He shook his head, continuing to mutter under his breath in disgust. Though Lilith's face no longer expressed emotion, Nerr could see in her large golden eyes that she was wincing.

    _|Well, it's for good reason that I--|_ The equerry paused, then seemed to think better of her words. _|...never mind. I apologize. It would be better for you to rest there rather than out here... at least for now.|_ She closed her eyes, and the orb she held further illuminated with a pearlescent glow. A swirling vortex appeared beneath her as she moved away to allow the others entry. Azura helped Jakob carry Gunther's prone form, and as Nerr once again took his steed's reins, she paused. Looking to the sky, the deep navy clouds were highlighted with jagged lines electricity. Inhaling deeply, the princess frowned. For the first time since she been to the Chasm, there was a hint of rain in the air. Despite the constant storms, she had never smelled water near the border. Now that she did, it left a deep discomfort in her chest. Change never brought about anything good...

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Boy oh boy, do I love Valla! The fact that Corrin and Whoever just blindly accepts the nonsense that is our least-favorite kingdom so easily always disgusted me in the game. It has floating islands, you dumbasses!!! It is not a place mortals were meant to tread. But nah, all of that shit- water zombies, teleporting to unknown kingdoms by jumping into death pits, floating islands- all that's cool to them. Just another day in the life of a literal hermit who has been locked away in a tower for at least a decade. Well, not here. Valla is now the eldritch genius loci it should've been from the start. I can't wait till they go back there with all the other royals- it's gonna super fun~!


	5. Asylum

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Ch.5- “Asylum”

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Despite the skies over Nohr and Hoshido being the deep hues of night, and Valla appearing as a misty gray morning, the Astral Plane seemed to be suspended at high noon, with it's bright azure backdrop dotted with fluffy white clouds. It was almost enough to make Nerr think she had imagined everything. But... a quick glance at the state Jakob and Azura were in was proof enough that she did not experience those horrors alone. Shuddering at the memory of roots latching onto her skin, the princess scratched at her arm as she walked over to the others, ignoring the way her fingers dug into the gaping holes left by the shuriken.

     “Jakob. How are you?” Indigo eyes that normally creased in joy when he saw her remained wide, a haunted look in their depths.

     “I'm alive, if that counts for anything...”

     “It counts for a lot to me. How about you, Azura?”

     “Hmm?” The singer looked up, startled, as if she hadn't noticed the other girl approach. “Oh. Yes, I'm fine. I'm rather used to it. As I've said, I've been there before, multiple times.” The butler frowned darkly at her.

     “And was it always a life or death ordeal to get back?” He sniped. Azura locked him with a dour stare.

     “No. If I'd known it would be like that, I wouldn't have brought you.”

     “It's fine, Azura.”

     “Is it really, milady?!” Nerr ignored her steward's incredulity. Instead, she sat on the sandy ground beside Gunther, staring intently at her retainer. She had done all she could to ignore the state of his injuries in Valla, but here in the Hoshidan-bright light of day, they held her gaze with a morbid fixation. But regardless of the state of him, she could hear his breathing, shallow and uneven as it was. She could see him, she could touch him... she was no longer left alone with her evermore perturbed thoughts and nightmares.

     “It is.” She whispered, more to herself than either Jakob or Azura. “It's better than I thought it would be, at least...” She blinked, tears dripping down her chin and onto her bare thighs Azura leaned over to the butler, whispering something in his ear, never tearing her gaze from Nerr even as he responded in just as quiet as a whisper.

The Nohrian girl ignored them, too busy trying to wipe away the stream of tears that just flowed harder and faster with each sniffle. Something feathery soft and just as light brushed against her shoulder, and Nerr looked up, immediately regretting it as she saw Lilith gazing down at her. Despite the emotionless set of her draconic face, pity practically wafted from her. It was nauseating, to think she'd show such weakness in front of her servants.

     |It's alright, milady. There's no shame in crying. Especially now of all times.| The princess chuckled humorlessly.

     “Heh. You know, Lilith, no matter how many times you tell me that, it won't suddenly become true...” Perhaps it was okay for commoners to be so vulnerable, but it was a royal's place to always be calm and collected, to conceal their true emotions, not feel them... Sniffling loudly, Nerr swiped away the last remaining tears clinging to her lashes before turning to face Lilith properly. “Forgive my outburst. You are good to me, Lilith.”

      _|Think nothing of it, milady. It's all I can do to repay your kindness.|_ She could hear the smile in the equerry's voice, and in her mind's eye, she could see it as well. It bolstered her strength, at least, her inner strength; physically, she felt utterly exhausted.

     “It pains me to ask anything more of you when you've already done so much for me, but I'm afraid I must.”

      _|I will do anything that is within my power, Lady Nerr.|_ Sighing deeply, the Norhian girl reached out, pulling away the strands of lilac hair sticking to Gunther's face. Watching his skin shift made her own skin itch, as though she could feel the same maggots working their way between the layers of muscle and fat in her arms. Swallowing the bile that rose in her throat, she closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her mouth.

     “Jakob said he needs better supplies to see to Gunther. There may be some at the Citadel. Since you seem to be able to travel freely- at least, more freely than us- I was hoping you could--”

    _|Of course! If I'd had any sense, I'd have done so earlier! I'll ask Jakob what he needs.|_

Nerr watched the dragon float over to her other retainer, who only just stopped talking to Azura. He certainly seemed to forget the animosity he held for her only moments ago quickly, she thought. The bitterness even in her inner voice surprised and disgusted her. She should be glad they were opening up to each other. After all, they were going to be together for a while. At least until they made their way back to Nohr. Xander would know what to do. He would have answers; he always had answers and guidance. The memory of the seething hatred in his eyes back on the Hoshidans plains was enough to cause her head to throb again. Nerr groaned, allowing herself to lean forward and bury her head in her hands. A quiet moan cut through the pressure mounting behind her eyes. Despite the pain opening them caused, she looked up, her gaze meeting a single violet eye glazed over in pain.

     “Gunther!” Ignoring how sick she felt, the princess moved closer to him, half laying down beside the knight so he could see her without having to turn his head. “You're awake again!”

     “I am...?” He sounded so weak and sickly. It left a painful pit in Nerr's stomach, but she was determined to not let it show on her face.

     “Yes. Don't worry; you're safe now. We're all safe now...” He merely moaned again in response, closing his eye once more.

     “Gods... water...” Gasping, the teal-haired girl scrambled to her feet, looking around the nearly barren land. Biting her chapped lip, she rushed over to Azura and Jakob.

     “Where's Lilith?” The steward pointed to the empty field.

     “She just left. Said she was going back to the Citadel. I told her where I keep the healing supplies.”

     “Arugh...!” Nerr tugged on her ponytail in distress until Azura grabbed her wrist to stop her.

     “Nerr, what is it?”

     “Water! I need to find water. Gunther is thirsty.” Peering around her, the singer looked at the knight lying on the ground.

     “...I _might_ be able to help with that.” Nerr followed hot on her heels as she walked over to Gunther, stopping about a foot away from him.

The songstress inhaled, closing her eyes as she opened her mouth, the tone from her lips soft and low before growing louder and stronger. The melody she vocalized sounded familiar, but before she could think on it, something cold and wet hit her arm. Blinking, she looked up, to see the air was saturated with water, like a heavy rain. The shimmering droplets swirled around the singer rather than fall to the ground, however. It seemed she was controlling where they landed for the most part. As the first few drops touched Gunther's cracked lips, he opened them wider, but immediately began coughing fiercely. Nerr watched in horror as he weakly rolled onto his side, retching. She grabbed Azura's wrists.

     “What are you doing!? Stop it!!” Shocked into silence, the songstress stared at her as the water she had been holding aloft fell onto them in a deluge.

     “What are you talking about?”

     “Your witch water is hurting him! Just like what you tried to do to me in Shirasagi!”

     “No!” Long azure hair slapped against her arms as Azura shook her head frantically. “I didn't do anything! I was only trying to calm you down in Shirasagi!” Releasing her, not because she believed the other girl, but only to put some distance between them, she pointed a finger into her face.

     “You keep your demon music to yourself and stay away from him until I get back.” Backing away, Nerr turned on her heel and broke into a run. Water, there had to be water in this horrible place. Even in the mountains, they got water through the runoff from the snow caps and rainstorms in the summer. As far as she could see, however there was nothing but an endless expanse of sky, land, and mountains too far off in the distance for her to conceivably reach any time soon.

Pausing, the princess leaned against a large stone, breathing deeply. She paused, holding her breath, before inhaling even deeper. It was faint, but she could smell water... somewhere. Walking slower, Nerr kept her eyes open wide as she scanned her surroundings. A powerful shudder ran up her spine as she stepped on... something. Almost afraid of what she would see, she breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed there was nothing under her foot. But she definitely _felt_ something. It was the same strange tingling she'd felt at the castle, and again at the Chasm when she fought the Hoshidans. A Dragon Vein, only... much, much stronger. She was tempted to leave it be, but a the smell of water was powerful here.

Deciding no more harm could come from it, Nerr closed her eyes, trying to remember how to channel the energy from the ground. She could feel it rise up through the soles in her feet, swirling through her veins and branching out to the tip of every hair. The pressure built, stronger and stronger until she felt as though she would burst. There was a loud crack and the ground shifted beneath her feet. Stumbling, Nerr caught herself before she fell, but her foot sank into the crumbling dirt.

For a terrifying moment, she remembered the all-consuming darkness from her last dream in the Citadel, but the hole did not pull her in. It _was_ cold, however, growing colder by the second. Wrenching her foot back, she noticed it was dripping wet. Crawling over to the still disintegrating ledge, she gasped, shocked but very please. She'd uncovered a stream, small but deep. Wishing she had a canteen, the Norhian girl wracked her brain for a moment, before throwing logic to the wind and gathering some of the water in her cupped hands. Some drops slipped through her fingers as she got up, as carefully as she could, but as she made her way back to the others, most of it had remained.

Kneeling down besides her retainer, she pressed her fingers to his lips. The heat rose in her cheeks, despite her reminding herself that she was nothing odd or untoward about what she was doing. Most of the water ran down Gunther's face than his throat, but at least he wasn't gagging on it this time. When her fingers were dry, she moved to get up and go back to the stream, but a large hand encircling her wrist kept her still. The older man pulled her hand down, resting it over his sternum as he closed his eyes, his breathing slowly evening out. Behind her, she could hear Jakob sputtering in indignation, but his protests quickly faded into background noise she barely registered.

Even when his grip slackened, even when Lilith returned with needles and thread and gauze, Nerr stayed as she was. She pushed past the pain in her knees, and the way the quickly cooling wind raised goose flesh across her back. Azura draped something over her bare shoulders, a cursory glance revealing it to be one of the few sweaters she had packed with her when she'd thought she would only be gone from Krakenburg for a week. She looked up at the singer, before turning her attention back to Jakob pulling a thick black thread through what ragged flesh remained of Gunther's cheek.

     “...thank you.” She whispered just loud enough for the songstress to hear.

     “Don't mention it. I'm surprised you've only just started shivering; you've been naked for hours.” Nerr had forgotten that for a moment. It wasn't until she looked down and noticed the yellow and green bruises mottling her skin that she truly became aware of it. With her free hand, she drew the sweater tighter around her neck.

     “I suppose I'm just used to the cold.” An uneasy silence lapsed between them, punctuated by quiet noises of discomfort. Without warning, the Hoshidan- no, Vallite princess, sat beside Nerr, looking much more comfortable on her knees.

     “Nerr.” Her voice was quiet, as though she didn't mean for Jakob to hear despite him only being less than a foot away. “You must believe me; I'd never try to hurt either you or Sir Gunther. I've never had anyone react adversely to my song before- at least, not without me intending for that to happen. I only wanted to help.” Nerr stared at her for a long time, taking in every detail on her face. The pale skin, almost translucence, reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on who. Despite her obvious discomfort, the songstress held her gaze, those golden eyes so intense it was as though she was channeling her entire being through them. Inhaling deeply, the Nohrian girl looked away, nodding.

     “I believe you, Azura. When I think about it, he was probably just choking- I know I have difficulty drinking while laying down. And... you didn't _hurt_ me, per se... you just didn't help in the slightest.”

     “So I noticed. It generally calms people, but it seems to have the opposite effect on some.” Suddenly, her expression turned dark, and she stared at her tightly clasped hands. “...my mother would probably understand why....” She reached up, wiping her eyes quickly.

     “Your mother... she was from V-- from that place, right?” Nerr caught herself, keeping her lips from forming the word “Valla” at the last moment. Azura nodded slightly.

     “Yes.”

     “And your father?” She paused, her fingers trembling slightly.

     “...yes. King Garon adopted me as a child, but... my father was from there as well. ...he was the king-consort.”

     “Then... you're the princess.”

     “My mother was the exalt, our ruler. King Garon knew that, but... that wasn't why he married her. Regardless of what he felt for me, I truly believe he loved her. He was... better, then. Kinder. I barely even remember it, but... I _know_ he was. Everything got worse when he came back from Chevalier...”

     “From the peace talk.” Nerr finished for her. That was what Ryouma had ranted about. It was probably where her half-memories originated from. “So. You think he's been in league with this Anankos since then?”

     “It's possible.”

     “That makes no sense. Then why wait until now to attack? If he was keeping me to ensure Hoshido didn't retaliate, he could've had those... _things_ go into Shirasagi ages ago. One of them must've been in the castle- the sword was taken from me when I was brought back the night before the ceremony.” The Nohrian princess groaned, closing her eyes as she rubbed them, trying to ease the pressure there. Battle strategies were far from her strong point. She was versed in diplomatic exchanges, not reverse engineering a declaration of war.

     “Perhaps you should give this line of thought a rest, milady.” Jakob had just tied his last knot, and stretched his arms above his head. His hands and the cuffs of his sleeves were stained with rust colored splotches. Lowering them, he rolled his neck a bit before fixing his liege with a sympathetic glance. “Knowing King Garon's mindset will not help you much now that the deed is done. Rather, we should devote our energy to deciding how we'll be moving forward--” A quiet groan interrupted him, and the silver-haired man's lips twisted into an ugly scowl. “Dammit, old man. Couldn't you stay dead a while longer?”

     “Jakob...” Gunther whispered in a strained voice. “You've always been nothing but a disappointment to me...”

     “Both of you, stop this nonsense!” Nerr could not help her voice rising. “You've known one another for almost fourteen years. You're supposed to love each other by now, damn it!” Jakob's expression turned to one of shame as he looked away. It seemed that Gunther's might have been the same, had the left side of his face not been pulled too taut. For the first time, Azura's stormy expression broke, a tiny chuckle escaping her lips. Nerr frowned at her, not seeing what was so amusing.

     “Sorry.” She backtracked quickly, unable to keep the smile from her eyes. “But it seems as though you might as well be trying to stop the sun from rising...” Before she could argue that point, an iron-clad hand reached out not for her, but past her.

     “Queen... Arete...?” The singer's eyes widened as she leaned back to put more distance between herself and the still reaching hand.

     “Y-you knew my mother?”

     “....mother...? Then... Princess Azura...?” Nerr could feel her lips turning down into a frown despite her best intentions.

     “You know her, Gunther?”

     “Only in passing...” Gunther let his hand fall, though the Nohrian girl caught it before it hit the ground (he didn't need any more trauma, she told herself). “I remember a horrible prank her step-siblings played on her... and the night she was taken from Nohr. The castle was in a panic... King Garon bade us search all the way to the border, but by the time we got there... There was no one.” Nerr looked between her retainer and the singer, her head awhirl, fueled by the blood rushing in her ears. Gunther had never mentioned anything like that to _her_. Perhaps he had been sent out to search for Azura on one of those nights when she awoke with nightmares and spent the rest of the time until dawn talking to Jakob because he hadn't been there... But that was neither here nor there, she told herself (and tried to believe it).

     “Alright then. You're acquainted. That's one answer to a question no one asked. But now we have to figure out what our next move will be, and more importantly, what Father's next move will be.”

     “He'll send troops along Hoshido's coast to overtake the capital by force.” Gunther spoke so nonchalantly that for a moment, Nerr wasn't sure he was even lucid, but his prior disorientation seemed to be wearing off, especially as he seemed more and more aware of the patchwork state of his face. Previous unease forgotten (or perhaps just tamped down), Azura leaned in closer, her gaze focused and intense.

     “What do you mean? Why would Garon do that? Everyone knows Nohr's might lies in it's calvary.”

     “Exactly. Which is why it would be beyond stupid to do the obvious. The last time we did that, we lost forty eight members of a fifty member platoon in one night...” Nerr wanted to ask if he meant to the Hoshidans, but judging by the appalled look on Azura's face, it was clear he did. Not at all eager to see an argument of who's country was in the wrong, she quickly spoke the first thoughts that popped into her mind, tying them into coherent words as she went.

     “So we're relatively sure Father won't be going the easy way through Hoshido. The coastline is long, and he'll have to amass enough naval ships for a battalion large enough for a siege. That's good. That gives us time.”

     “Time to do _what_ exactly, Lady Nerr?” Jakob asked, the doubt all but dripping from his voice.

     “Time to go to Nohr and talk some gods' damned sense into Xander. I refuse to believe he's as stupid as he's letting on--” A hand on her arms gave her pause, but this time, it wasn't Azura. Gunther was giving her a quizzical look, and she prayed to high heaven she looked more calm and collected than she felt.

     “What do you mean 'go to Nohr'? Is... this Hoshido?”

     “Not exactly...” She trailed off, wondering how to explain. “It's neither Nohr or Hoshido, but a place in between. I'm afraid I've run afoul of both royal families, and to say there's a bounty on my hide is not an exaggeration. Xander in particular is... not pleased... with what he sees as a betrayal to Nohr.”

     “And?”

     “And what?”

     “ _Have_ you betrayed Nohr?” Nerr felt her stomach bottom out as she looked at her retainer. He probably thought she was the lowest form of scum, running away from her people, her duty... Swallowing, she mustered up what little courage she could scrape together and sat up straighter.

     “No. Nohr is my home, regardless of where I was born. I would gladly die for her. But _not_ for the madman that wears her crown. A cowardly pus-sack that would kill innocent children just to start a war, to say nothing of his own subjects... He may be the man I was raised to call 'Father', but he is _not_ my king.” She could feel the older man's gaze burning through her very soul, and just like that, her remaining self confidence was reduced to ash. “I'm sorry, Gunther. You must think so poorly of me, given how loyally you've served your post...” He took her hand, the well worn leather of his glove completely enveloping her fingers even as he lifted them to his lips. She could feel the blood-encrusted scars there, but her stomach flipped in delight rather than turn in disgust.

     “Not in the slightest, my lady. Do you not remember who I vowed my loyalty to nigh fifteen years ago? I serve _you_ , Lady Nerr. Not King Garon. I shall always remain at your side.” Unbidden and unwanted, Nerr felt her eyes well up, her throat and chest constricting before she could do anything to stop it. She pulled her hand away, getting to her feet and turning away, desperate to hide her shame. ' _How pitiful..._ _'_ she sneered at herself. If he didn't think she was off her rocker, he'd think she was weak. At least no weaker than she felt she was...

     “Thank you, Gunther. Your loyalty means everything to me.” She managed to rasp out in between wiping away her tears. “I think we should call it a day. We've fought two near-consecutive battles with no rest in between. I can't even imagine how difficult it must've been for you to sleep in that hellhole...”

     “...I haven't slept in six days, but it's fine, I'm...” Panic surged through her as she whirled around to find the knight's eyes closed once again.

     “Gunther!?”

     “Calm down, Nerr. He just fell asleep.” In contrast to Azura's calming tone, Jakob snorted and rolled his eyes.

     “Looks like the old man's age is finally catching up to him. Regardless of his... 'loyalty', it may be unwise to bring him with us, Lady Nerr. He'll most likely just slow us down--”

     “He's already given us insight into Father's plans for Hoshido.” Nerr snapped, perhaps more harshly than she'd intended to. “That alone saved us time. And I'll thank you not to judge him in this weakened state.” Apparently at a loss for words, the butler simply opted to look down, though Nerr was fairly certain he was surreptitiously glaring at Gunther. “I know there's a cave Lilith made around here somewhere... that's where I slept last time I was here...”

      _|I'm not certain that would be large enough for four people...|_ Looking up saw Lilith descend, her already wide mouth opening even wider as she yawned.

     “Lilith. Where have you been?” Jakob demanded, as though he was miffed she had missed her turn prepping for dinner.

      _|I'm sorry, Jakob. I was taking a nap. Leaving the Astral realm weakens me, and I was gone for a while looking for those needles.|_

     “Can't you just make the cave bigger?” The lazuline girl asked, hopeful. A felid head shook.

      _|I'm afraid not. I would if I could, but honestly, I'm so tired that it's taking all my energy to not just pass out right here and now.|_

     “I'll do it.” Nerr said simply, heading over to the moss covered mound.

She hadn't paid it much mind her last time here, but as she drew closer, she noticed the rocks were laced with sparkling stones. She'd heard that ore used for forging was buried deep in the earth in Nohr, to the point that people put their lives in danger mining it simply because it was consistent, well-paying work. A pang of jealousy hit her, to think that even other planes of existence were better off than Nohr... Shaking her mind to clear it, she felt around, trying to find a tendril of energy like she had felt before. Drawing her foot back as a shock coursed through it, Nerr once again focused on channeling it through her. The ground rumbled below her, and she stumbled, trying to catch herself on the expanding mass of rock. Even as the earth stilled, it seemed to shift and sway beneath her feet. For one brief moment, her vision blurred, the edges dark as if she were looking through a smoky glass, and then the world turned on it's side.

000

_Below her, there was naught but a smooth, inky darkness that only became more impenetrable the deeper it went. Looking up, she noticed the faint pinpricks of light above wavered, their shapes distorting. Reaching up resulted in a swarm of bubbles that filled the air like tiny pearls-- only, how could there be air bubbles in the air? Her movements felt sluggish, but she could inhale deeply. Regardless, she was underwater... somewhere. With the sudden realization that she had been floating came the sensation of sinking. Silvery ribbons fluttered around her as she descended into the darkness, but there was no fear this time. Even when the stars were no longer visible, there was no fear._

_As her toes touched something solid, she looked down, not sure of what she was expecting to see. She was standing on some sort of rock, smooth and mostly flat; a piece had broken off, leaving a jagged edge she curled her toes around. Crouching slightly, she reached into the emptiness below the stone. The water was warmer there. Laying flat on her stomach, she poked her head into the darkness. It wasn't dark. There was fire- tongues of flame licking at everything, reducing it to ash that swirled like smoke, like hands reaching up for help, for revenge, to pull her into the the flames of perdition--_

     “Nerr! Let go!” Opening her eyes, Nerr found herself entangled in the sky. A few blinks and bit more struggling let her realize she was in fact engulfed in bright blue hair. Azura was still trying to pull her arm free of the Nohrian's grip.

     “Oh, gods! I'm sorry!” She released her at once, and the singer drew back, rubbing her wrist.

     “Ah, it's like your hands are made of metal... I tried to wake you up and you went crazy.”

     “That happens sometimes. Sorry...” Groaning, Nerr sat up, her entire body aching like mad. She didn't feel anymore rested than yesterday. If anything, she felt more tired. “How long have I been sleeping?”

     “It's morning, so... a few hours? Jakob and Sir Gunther are already up... and arguing. I felt it best not to get in the middle of that.”

     “You felt right.”

The sweater that had been draped over her shoulders had fallen off. Her body was coated with dust, sweat, blood and gods only knew what else. At the very least, her arm was relatively clean, only a few faint red lines left to show where the rusted metal had pierced her skin. The stark contrast between pale skin and that which was covered in grime only made her feel more disgusting. At that moment, even being back in Hoshido would be acceptable if only for a chance to sit in a hot tub again.

Frowning, Nerr slipped on the sweater, determined to find her pack. It didn't matter how many clothes she put on, though; without armor, she would always be naked. Who knew what the borders looked like now that the war had been declared in earnest? This wasn't what she was supposed to have been training for. The only hostile borders she had ever thought of in the past were Hoshido's.

Grabbing the grunge-covered brass sword that lay beside her and climbing to her feet, Nerr followed Azura from the darkness of the cave. She didn't remember getting inside, but assumed that Jakob had carried her in. She'd have to thank him if he could stop arguing for a good five seconds. His voice, along with Gunther's, carried all the way from the river they stood at. It was larger than the night before. In fact, the entirety of the plains seemed far less desolate than they had. Azura paused before they approached the men, her lips twisting in distaste. It may have seemed untoward to outsiders, but such interactions had always been par for the course in the Citadel.

     “--didn't always rush ahead, none of this would've happened in the first place!”

     “So you suggest I wait around for you to catch up and let our liege be a sitting duck in the meantime?”

     “I _suggest_ you stop living in the past. You're not a knight; you're a doddering old relic--”

     “Hello, Jakob.” Nerr rested her hand on her shoulder, leaning forward to look at him. The steward stiffened under her touch, a tic going off in his jaw. “What's all this fuss about?” Both men averted their eyes.

     “Nothing.”

     “Nothing, my lady...”

     “I assumed as much. Which is good. We can continue planning our next course of action, then.” Shamefaced posture forgotten, Gunther stood at attention. It did her heart well to see him no longer stooped over from exhaustion and pain. The left side of his face was wrapped in bandages (Jakob must've seen to that while she slept as well, ever stalwart), but what was visible looked as alert as ever.

     “Indeed, my lady. It is good to see you taking initiative. The boy filled me in on what's happened in my absence. Apparently King Garon used your disappearance at the Chasm as a call to arms.” Nerr tuned to the younger retainer, who immediately stopped giving his senior a hateful side eye.

     “Is that true, Jakob?”

     “I'm afraid so, milady. His Majesty claimed since there was no body, the Hoshidans must have killed you, and if they could kill a princess, there was no telling what they would do to the smallfolk when they decide to show their true colors.”

     “None of that's true at all!” Azura rushed forward, her brows drawn together in dismay. “Hoshidans would never cross the border without provocation!” Gunther slowly turned towards her, his eye scanning her face.

     “Are you a member of the Hoshidan army, Lady Azura?” She frowned, clearly confused as to why that mattered.

     “No...?”

     “Then perhaps you shouldn't take their 'pacifist' manifesto at face value. Dark times brings out the worst in many, regardless of what side of the continent they hail from.” It looked like the singer wanted to protest, but Nerr was in no mood to listen to another spiel about how the Hoshidans were blameless victims.

     “Plenty of those soldiers saw that I was alive when they crossed the border, so they already know Garon's lied to them about that. Speaking directly to Xander at this point, loathe though I am to admit it, may be a lost cause, but I know for certain Elise will listen to me. And possibly Leo- he didn't immediately dismiss what I said as lies. It's only been a few days; they're probably still on their way back to Krakenburg, so we just need to catch up to them and-- what?” She asked flatly, frowning as Gunther held a hand up to pause her.

     “You intend on returning to Nohr like _that?”_ She looked down at herself, most notably at her bare legs and dirty feet.

     “...I intend to put some pants on first.”

     “I mean without armor. My memory may be failing me, but you weren't wearing any in Va-- _there_ either, were you?”

     “No...?”

     “So you acknowledge that Garon wants you dead, and attest that Prince Xander may feel the same, and with that knowledge, you plan to waltz into Nohr and walk up to the royal family?” Nerr threw her hands up in exasperation.

     “Then what do _you_ suggest I do!?” Before he could answer, Azura sidled in front of the Nohrian girl.

     “ _I_ suggest we try our luck in Hoshido. Takumi may want us dead, but his orders will never outweigh Ryouma's, and I refuse to believe he'd ordered _his_ soldiers to kill you on sight.” The teal-haired girl laughed harshly in the face of that testament.

     “You must be joking! He ordered the soldiers to kill me the day I arrived in Shirasagi! _Twice!_ If it wasn't for Empress Mikoto's intervention, I'd have been dead on arrival. I'll take my chances with Xander... as soon as I put on pants.” Turning on her heel to seek out her pack, the princess was stopped by a heavy hand gripping her shoulder. A little shudder ran down her spine, though not at all unpleasant.

     “Prince Xander is not who you need to worry about, my lady.” Silently crying out in frustration, she turned back around.

     “What are you talking about, Gunther?”

     “Even with two members of the royal family on your side, that won't matter when the king himself orders your execution. He wanted you dead, and you still live. There is _nothing_ that infuriates Garon Von Krakenburg more than when someone he wants to die doesn't. Believe me...” Nerr felt herself shrink back a bit. The anger, the loathing in Gunther's voice was palpable. She could feel the hatred radiating from him, and it turned her stomach. Gripping the hem of her sweater to keep her hands from shaking, she tried to keep her voice level.

     “I'm _not_ talking to Ryoma Sama.”

     “Then don't. _I'll_ talk to him.” Azura sounded more confident than she looked, responding the the question raised by Nerr's brow. “Last time, he was in shock. It never even occurred to him that the initial attack happened while Mikoto-sama was still alive. By now he's had time to think clearly, and what's more, I have witnesses. They may be Nohrian, but in essence, so am I. And so are you.” It wasn't the best plan. It was hardly a plan in any sense of the word, but trapped between a rock and a hard place, it was all they had to go on. It was a step forward, even though Nerr could not shake the feeling that it was a step in the wrong direction.

000

Rubbing her eyes to try and rid them of the red and blue bursts blinding her, the Norhian princess felt around, noticing she was standing on rough stone rather than grass. Thunder rumbled overhead, the vibrations flowing through her body. Finally able to see once more, she lowered her hand, scowling deeply at the bleak landscape of the Infinite Chasm. The others too were finding their footing after Lilith returned them back to the world they came from. At least, Azura and Jakob were. Gunther seemed rather steady on his feet as he rummaged through the hastily stuffed saddlebags.

     “What is it? What are you looking for?” Dropping several plates of armor onto the ground, the knight turned towards to her.

     “Come closer.” She did so without a moment's hesitation.

     “Is something wro-- gih!” The older man took a knee before her, pulling her closer still. Nerr's heart thudded in her chest, the blood rushing to her face and collecting in her head and making her feel dizzy. “Wh-wh-wh-wh--?”

     “You have no armor. It's not much, but this will have to do.” Before she could inquire as to what he meant, Gunther pressed one of his pauldrons against her chest, spinning her around and continuing to talk to her back as he laced a leather thong through the belts and tied to her. The corners dug into her ribs. “Jakob also told me there was a battle on the Hoshidan plains. With casualties. If we're lucky, we may be able to find you some better fitting armor there.”

     “What? No!” Nerr glared at him over her shoulder. “I'm not picking armor off a fallen soldier!”

     “Normally, I would be opposed to plundering a body just as much as you are, my lady, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I assure you, any enemy we come across will be aiming to kill.” Pulling the lacing tight, he turned her around once more, this time, unbuckling his rerebrace. “Those soldiers had all sworn a vow to give their lives for their princess. I have no doubt in my mind that they won't be opposed to giving their armor for her, especially when they no longer have use of it.” His words sank like a stone in her gut, leaving her with a miserable, nauseous feeling so intense, she neither protested nor even reacted as he strapped the purple plates to her thighs. With a grunt of effort, the older man got to his feet, looking over his handiwork with a pleased expression. “It's satisfactory. One last thing...” Nerr barely realized what he was doing until she noticed the other pauldron strapped to her arm.

     “What's this?”

     “A shield. A poor one, but you have no vambrace, so this will do for now. All you need to do is keep this arm up when you attack.” He stepped towards her aggressively, and she raised her arm, her other hand automatically going for the hilt of her sword. Gunther smiled at her, and the weight in her stomach lightened a bit. “Perfect. You'll catch on quick. You always do...” Feeling much too pleased with herself, the princess looked away, the fluttering in her chest cut short by very loud, very angry stomping coming closer. Jakob planted his hand in the middle of the older man's back, pushing him forward as he continued storming.

     “That's quite enough out of you. Why don't you and that ornery mule of yours make yourselves useful and scout ahead?” Although she would normally protest his disrespect (and mean words to Caractacus), Nerr was much too relieved for the chance to catch her breath to care this time. Resting her hand over her chest, she sighed, waiting a few moments before beginning her own trek. Azura trotted to catch up to her.

     “What was that all about?”

     “The same old same old.”

     “I meant with you. You seem oddly flustered.” Crimson eyes snapped open. She could see the other woman staring at her from her periphery.

     “I needed armor.” She said simply. The singer's thin lips curled further down.

     “That's reason enough to flush so darkly?”

     “I take it you've never been fitted for armor before, Azura. I don't like people standing eye level with my crotch.” It wasn't like she was lying. Not entirely. Being fitted for armor was the same as being fitted for a new gown- a long, agonizing experience that she would rather forego in the future. Just because it was Gunther touching her legs didn't make it any less awkward... just... a different kind of awkward. Still, Azura didn't seem convinced.

     “Hmm. Are you _sure_ you're alright...?”

     “Are you sure you can't ever shut up?” Flushing once more, the Nohrian girl quickened her pace. It was almost as infuriating as talking with Flora. Only worse. She _knew_ Flora; they'd spoken together for years. Flora wasn't just some random Hoshidan-Vallite- whatever princess who had sold her out to the Hoshidans. Who tried to help her control her destructive instincts. Who was the reason her beloved retainer was returned to her... Frustration cooled and settled into guilt, but Nerr wasn't ready to deal with that yet. She walked faster, running through combat simulations in her mind.

As they descended the cliff face into Hoshido, the air grew balmy, but it was not a welcome change. Not to Nerr, at least. It was faint, but definitely noticeable, those early wisps of carrion stench polluting the breeze. Covering her arm with her sleeve, she remained silent. The others would smell it eventually. As it was, they seemed more interested in discussing the reception they would find in Hoshido.

     “Unless we were coming from the north, the only options we have to get to Shirasagi are directly from the west, or through Fort Jinya. Neither route inspires much confidence.”

     “Given that the last attack from the Nohrians had them coming through the same path we're taking now, it seems more likely _this_ is the route they'll fortify first, meaning we'd have a better chance going through Fort Jinya.” Nerr took a few seconds to uncover her mouth, inquiring to what Gunther and Azura were talking about so intently.

     “What's Fort Jinya?” The moment she opened her mouth, the taste of rotting meat on the air coated her tongue and she gagged, covering her nose with both hands. Jakob was at her side at once, offering her a canteen that she pushed away, unwilling to pull her hands down. Azura looked at her quizzically, but said nothing about the unusual behavior.

     “Fort Jinya is the largest military structure in Hoshido. In recent years it's rarely been used for anything more than training new troops, but during the war, it housed most of Hoshido's battalions. I wouldn't be surprised if Takumi or Hinoka was leading the soldiers undoubtedly stationed there.

     “If it's Hinoka, you can talk to her. If it's Takumi, we knock him out and run to the capital before he wakes up.” The Nohrian girl's voice was muffled by her hands, but it seemed enough of her words got through. Gunther's already stern expression darkened.

     “You refer to Prince Takumi, yes? Isn't that your brother by birth, Lady Nerr? Surely you don't mean to hurt him?”

     “He's no brother of mine.” She scowled behind her hands. “Besides, he didn't mind hurting _me_. And I give as good as I take...” The older knight chuckled humorlessly. Azura's golden eyes narrowed.

     “We aren't hurting Takumi either. You may not believe this, Nerr, but _that_ wasn't Takumi. I've known him for over a decade- he can be distant, but he wouldn't wish his own sister dead. It was the shock of Empress Mikoto's death that-- Oh, good lord! What's that stench!?” Cries of disgust resounded as the fetor grew stronger, lingering in the air like a miasma.

     “Gods, it smells worse than when that wolf crawled under the stables to die!” Jakob turned away retching between his words. Of them, only Gunther seemed to keep his composure, though it was clear from his expression he found the stink no more enjoyable than them.

     “I take it we're getting closer to the battlefield?” Every step forward left Nerr's stomach sinking further. She had seen a carcass left to the elements only once. A rat she'd found stuck in a crevasse as a child. Or at least, what remained of it. It was mostly bones and a stinking pelt, the rest being torn apart by ants and maggots. Shutting her eyes for a moment, her heart nearly burst from her chest at the muffled cry that erupted in front of her. She opened them just in time to catch a blue and white blur backing into her, nearly fast enough to knock them both down.

     “Azura, what are you--” She had begun to berate the singer, but her voice left her as she stared over the girl's shoulder. A soldier, wearing a simple Nohrian breastplate, lay face down on the brown grass beneath him. The blue arming coat that was part of the standard uniform of a halberdier had turned black in some places, it was so saturated with blood. Flies swarmed around the body, like a great black cloud, landing on the spilled entrails only to rise us again in an endless dance of death.

Without thinking, Nerr grabbed Azura's shoulder with one arm and led her around the body. The small group remained quiet as they traversed the battlefield. There wasn't a multitude of corpses littering the ground- it wasn't as though a massacre took place there. Perhaps while they had been in Valla, some of the Nohrians had even gone back for a few of their friends. The remaining bodies lay in awkward angles, arms and legs pinned under them, some broken with the glints of reddish bone poking through the gray meat. When the wind blew, it brought with it blessed fresh air, but also stirred up the foul reek of blood and bile and all manner of both human and animal waste. It was unlikely anyone would return for was left over- perhaps in several months time, when they were well underway with conquering Hoshido they might think of giving the bleached skeletons a proper burial.

Maybe the Hoshidans would grow sick of the sight of slowly decaying bodies and shovel them into a pit. Or maybe they would simply remain here until there was nothing left but armor and bones. A monument. _'For the glory of Nohr...'_ Nerr thought, unable to muster up any bitterness even within her own mind. She _wanted_ to be angry, she _wanted_ to be indignant at the loss of life, but in truth, the sight of all these fallen soldiers just made her tired. Sad... but mostly tired. For how many years now had she convinced herself this was what she wanted for herself, rather than be a cog in her Father's machinations?

A tiny part of her said it was still true, but surrounded by a visual representation of what was awaiting her should she follow that path caused her resolve to waver. It wasn't even the thought of dying- she'd come to terms with that long ago- but the thought of being left behind, forgotten like so much trash... A hand on her shoulder directed Nerr to turn south, and she didn't bother protesting or even looking to see who it was. With every step south, the air grew clearer. Never pristine- the reek of death would have seeped into her pores by now, but easier to breathe at least. Azura wobbled a bit, falling to her knees. Nerr ran over to her, 'are you okay' already on her lips, but a loud retch cut her off. Cringing, she pulled the songstress' long hair back just as the other woman had done for her back in Valla, watching as the thin form it hid convulsed.

     “Oh gods....” The Vallite princess moaned as she crawled away from the puddle of sick. “I didn't think it was going to be that bad... I-- I've never seen what happens to people when they die _here_...” She sniffled, eyes overflowing with tears even as she fought to keep a straight face. “I always thought they just... faded away. Like foam on the water's surface.”

     “Well... technically they do.” Jakob said quietly. “It just takes much longer, and is much more unpleasant than what we saw... _there_...” Far from being comforted, the singer buried her face in her hands, rocking slightly. Torn between wanting to comfort her and wanting to get as far away from the sniveling sounds as possible, Nerr opted to do the latter, turning on her heel and walking a few paces away. She knew how Azura felt; the memory of spilling blood in Krakenburg, of coming face to face with a death so unnatural, still colored her memories. At once she was both grateful Xander wasn't there to see how pitiful she was, and desperately wishing he _was_ there to say something bolstering. The familiar clank of plate approaching her was comforting enough, though the ripe, metallic tang of copper and iron that followed was most unwelcome.

     “My lady, I've found a breastplate that looks as though it should fit you--”

     “Get it away from me! I don't want it!” She whirled around, knocking the steel plates from Gunther's hands to the ground. His expression was shocked for a moment, before the corners of his lips turned down in an all-too familiar frown. His disappointment was almost soothing in and of itself; something familiar amidst the chaos.

     “Lady Nerr,” He began, his voice hard and unyielding despite the veneer of respect. “I understand how uncomfortable this must make you, but unfortunately, you don't have the luxury of being uncomfortable now. If you wanted to have things be easy, you should have returned to Nohr or stayed in Hoshido, consequences be damned. But you didn't, and now, you must face the realities of your choice. You have no wealth, you have no power, and you have none of the options that come with either. You can grit your teeth and make do with what comes your way, or you can give up and _die_ , and quite frankly, you don't have a say in the matter. You'll not be laid low on the battlefield due to... squeamishness. Not so long as I draw breath.”

Nerr remained silent, even after he sighed deeply and stooped to retrieve the armor. No words rose to the top of her mind, no retorts or even indignation at having been spoken to in such a way. She simply hung her head, wishing she could shrink and hide away from everyone's gaze in the drying grass. Jakob, never at a loss for words, gave voice to his own indignation well enough.

     “That's enough, old man. This isn't basic training, and you aren't putting the fear of the gods into some nameless cannon fodder. How can you even _think_ you have to right to speak to our liege in such a manner? You aren't accomplishing anything by being a callous ass except giving people _less_ motivation to fight.” Violet eyes met indigo, neither conceding an inch of ground.

     “I am my lady's retainer, not some simpering courtier trying to win favor. My duty is to keep her safe, and more importantly, alive... as is yours. You'd best be grateful I'm still here; were you on your own, you probably wouldn't _have_ a liege very long if you let her do as she pleases, no matter how ill advised.”

 _“_ Gih! If I were on my own, I wouldn't belittle my liege with every word out of my insolent mouth!”

     “That insolent mouth of yours isn't good for much else.”

As the butler sputtered, Nerr silently reached behind her back to undo the strips of leather holding her makeshift cuirass in place. Lowering the pauldron to the ground, she picked up the breastplate she had knocked away earlier. It was simple, exceedingly so; two solid pieces of steel hinged together, bound by plain leather straps on either side. There was nothing remarkable about it, no etching or embossing or even a crest, nothing to give any idea as to who may have owned it before it fell into her hands, apart from the size. It was on the small side for armor. It must have been worn by a woman... or a very young man, someone around Leo's age... one of so, so many; canon fodder clad in mass produced armor. Blood crusted both inside and out, flaking off when she ran her thumb over it.

Blinking rapidly to clear her misty eyes, the princess put the cuirass over her head. She'd never been able to put on her own armor by herself- there were so many plates and straps that Flora always had to help her adjust everything before her training began. Two buckles on one side, two on the other was all it took for this one. It was a bit snug with her thicker sweater beneath, but she could move well enough. And she was protected from anything that didn't go lower than her ribcage. That was enough for now. Picking up the black steel she'd temporarily discarded, Nerr wordlessly handed it back to it's owner, working on unstrapping the other from her arm, but Gunther pushed her hand back down. His words were much gentler this time around, his touch the same.

     “No knight ever regretted having a shield.” He told her quietly. The old Nerr would've argued that she didn't need it, but this Nerr didn't have the willpower to fight something so unimportant. She simply pulled Azura to her feet, and followed the singer back to the heart of Hoshido.

000

Even from a distance, Fort Jinya was a formidable sight. The stark white plaster reflected the sun's light, making it stand out even more. Massive bulwarks surrounded the fortress itself, meant to provide plenty of cover for the soldiers within while forcing the enemy to funnel in, Azura explained when she could once again speak without whimpering.

     “Then we'd best prepare for a blitz attack.” Jakob said coldly, pulling out one of his daggers. The songstress rushed over to him, forcing his hand down as she glared at him.

     “No! That's exactly the opposite of what we should do! We're trying to convince whoever the commander is here that _we're_ not the enemy, and we can't do that if we rush in, bows blazing. We have to try and talk to them. If I can just talk to one of my siblings... I _know_ they'll listen.” Nerr sincerely doubted that, but at the same time, realized that the people she had endured during her captivity in the castle weren't the people Azura had grown up with. She nodded.

     “Alright. Then you can go first, and we'll hang back in case someone decides they don't want to be diplomatic.” Looking relieved, the songstress stood taller as she approached the bastion. There were embankments on either side of the levees, and the group of Nohrians stood in the shadows of the westernmost one. Nerr strained her ears for any sign of hostiles, for the slightest whisper or crunching of gravel, but all she could hear was distant birdsong.

The melodic twittering set her teeth on edge. Suddenly, a strange clattering, rhythmic but in no way organic, drew closer. Drawing her sword, the Nohrian princess peeked around the edge of the embankment, shuddering at the sight of the monster approaching Azura. It looked almost like a dog... that had risen from the pits of Hell. With a bulbous red face and huge yellowed teeth... something similar had been in her quarters in Shirasagi castle, an equally ugly creation that looked to be the demonic cousin of a hobby horse. This one too was meant to be ridden, a saddle of sorts atop it's dark green covering. The rider looked familiar as well...

     “Ah! Yukimura-san!” Azura sounded delighted to see him, while it took Nerr a few seconds to remember who he was.

     “Azura-sama!” Uncrossing his long legs, the Hoshidan man dismounted the hellish creation, rushing over to the singer. “Thank the gods you're alright! You vanished without a trace; we were afraid the Nohrians had captured you, or worse, cut you down. Sakura-sama has been beside herself with worry.”

     “She has...?” The blunette's voice wavered for a moment, but she collected herself. “I can assure you the Nohrians had nothing to do with my disappearance, Yukimura-san. In fact, that's why I've returned. I need to speak to Hinoka or Ryouma at once.”

     “Well I'm afraid that's not possible. Ryouma-sama has headed to the southern half of the border with Takumi-sama, and Hinoka-sama returned to the capital to rally the troops there.”

     “Damn it!” She swore under her breath, her voice unsuitable for such coarse words. Yukimura seemed to think so too, as he gazed into her face, concern writ on his own.

     “Azura-sama? You don't seem yourself... What is this about?”

     “It's about the war! Nohr is not our enemy, and--”

     “What nonsense is this? Milady, I fear you must be suffering from some form of trauma. Come; Sakura-sama can attend to you.” He took her wrist and attempted to lead her back into the fort. The songstress dug her heels in, trying vainly to pry his fingers loose.

     “No! Unhand me...!” Desperately, she looked over her shoulder, but the strange gesture did not go unnoticed. Stopping, Yukimura indeed let Azura go, only to pull a short knife from his waist as he moved in front of her, slowly approaching the lead-up to the levees.

     “Who's there? Show yourselves!” Grabbing Jakob by the back of his vest as he tried to take a step forward, Nerr gestured to her retainers to stay where they were. She stepped into the sunlight slowly, blade in hand though it remained pointed down. Behind their lenses, the Hoshidan man's eyes widened, before narrowing in disgust. “ _You..._ ” He sneered, as though the word was offal in his mouth. “You have some nerve showing your face around here, Princess Traitor.”

     “Leaving a country I was originally given permission to leave that I never swore allegiance to in the first place does _not_ make me a traitor. But that's neither here nor there. I've no business with you and yours; I'm simply acting as... an escort to Azura.”

     “What?” The older man turned back around to face the other princess. “Is this true, Azura-sama? You're in league with-- with _her!?_ How could you?! Mikoto-sama loved and raised you as though you were her own daughter, and you run back to the Nohrians the moment it's no longer convenient for you to stay??”

     “No!” She rushed forward, her eyes wide and earnest. “I love Hoshido, truly! That's why I want to end the war before any more lives are lost--”

     “ _LIES!”_ A flash of silver cut through the air close enough to Azura's face that it severed several strands of hair. She cried out fearfully even as the blade hit the opposite wall, ricocheting off. Nerr spun around to see where it had come from, the Yato held at the ready even as Jakob and Gunther ran forward, arms drawn as well. A pair of Hoshidans, male and female, approached from the east, their clothes and hair in disarray. She recognized them, though from different places. The woman, with her long mauve hair coming undone, had been one of her mother's retainers that she'd woken up to a few days ago. The other, she realized with a thrill of mingled fear and loathing, was the same ninja who had ambushed her at the Chasm. The reason she'd had to run and get ambushed by Hans in the first place. His clothes were torn and stained, and he walked with a slight limp, but he was already holding another dagger.

     “Enough with your act, anyan. No one's buying it anymore. You're probably one of the Nohrian commanders who lead the charge against us at Izumo!”

     “What?!” Yukimura and Azura exclaimed at once, shock from one voice, fear from the other.

     “Saizou, where are Ryouma-sama and Takumi-sama?!”

     “Missing...” The woman answered tearfully. “They came out of nowhere... we looked for them but found nothing...”

     “We came to warn Hinoka-sama, but it looks like it's too late.” The red-haired shinobi glared hatefully at Nerr. “Bad enough Garon's spawn shows her face here again, but she brings the anyan whore with her...? You have breathed your last!” He lunged at her, faster than she would have thought someone could go from a dead stop. But she was ready. The moment Saizou brought his dagger down on her, Nerr caught it between the prongs of the Yato's hilt. “I should've killed you back at the border...” He seethed through his mask as he tried to unlock their blades.

     “Too bad you missed your chance!” The princess spat, driving her knee into his side. The ninja grunted in pain, his grip slack enough for her to push him back.

     “Saizou!” The Hoshidan woman cried out, dashing forward.

     “Lady Azura!” Gunther called out to her, his lance held at the ready. “Nothing but an unnecessary fight can be found here.” Jakob nodded grimly.

     “A quick retreat would serve us better than remaining where we're not welcome.”

     “But... my brothers--”

     “ _Brothers!?_ ” Yukimura yelled, enraged. “You _dare_ still think of yourself as a member of the Hoshidan royal family?! Had you just run back to your hellhole, we'd have forgotten your betrayal soon enough, but you come back only to lead the enemy straight to us?! This is unforgivable.” Putting two fingers to his lips, he whistled shrilly. “Guards! Seize them! Kill the soldiers, but leave the traitors alive; they'll face their justice before the whole of Hoshido!” From within the leveed walls, the march of approaching soldiers grew louder and louder. Nerr backed away, Azura running behind her and the others as they grouped closer together.

     “No... No! I'm not getting drawn into this! You aren't worth this, Yukimura. Call off your men- no one needs to get hurt.” The Hoshidan man's lips pulled back into a loathsome snarl as he reached into the pouch at his waist. She barely noticed what he took hold of until the air before her was whistling and the pain exploded in her neck. Crying out, the princess dropped her sword, both hands instinctively reaching for the injured flesh. It wasn't a deep cut, but deep enough that she could feel the wet heat pooling into her palms as it soaked into her collar, her vision swimming. “Arugh!! You _bastard!!_ ”

The hard-packed dust rose up in small clouds as sandal-clad feet charged. Saizou's dagger would sink into her face; the hatred in his eyes ensuring he wouldn't hesitate. She could grab her sword, but that would just ensure he had a cleaner shot. Darkness and a resonating clang reached her before she could comprehend them. Blinking, Nerr found herself in the shadow of a massive shield. The shinobi recoiled as his blade bent, crying out as he was knocked to the ground, the thick iron colliding with his ribs.

     “Shinobi...” Gunther hissed, the word dripping with more contempt than she had thought him capable of expressing. She grabbed the tails of his arming coat as he stalked towards the red head, lance held like a harpoon.

     “No! Don't engage them; we're leaving! We don't-- gah!” Nerr stumbled back as a blast of icy wind whizzed past her. Branching crystals formed on her cuirass; she could see her shallow gasps form and dissipate in the air.

     “Traitors... Traitors!” The woman held a fanned out set of wooden slats. The ground glowed with runes that she had never seen, but she didn't need to in order to recognize the magic crackling in the air. “You can _never_ be forgiven for what you've done!” Orochi raised her hand, sending out a flurry of ice that cut like finely ground glass. The Nohrian girl dove for her sword, intent on perhaps knocking her strange... tome? away, but Jakob was well ahead of her. The butler lunged forward, one arm raised against the cold. He cut at her, managing to draw a thick line of crimson across the mage's exposed ribs before another gust blew him back. Hoshidan soldiers, armed with swords and halberds, stormed from the fort, at least a dozen that Nerr could count. Biting her lip, she tightened her grip on the Yato.

     “Nerr, wait!” Azura approached quickly, wincing violently as metal clashed against metal. “Don't kill them, Nerr. _Please._ They're just doing their duty.”

     “Their 'duty' is to kill Gunther and Jakob! They want to take us captive!” She knocked away the hand reaching for her. “I am _not_ going back to Shirasagi!” Turning on her heel, she ran into the fray. Jakob was the closest; engaged with the Hoshidan mage as he was, he didn't noticed the swordsman closing in on him. Nerr did, and as he raised his sword, she aimed her own. Not at his blade to knock it away, but at the hands holding it. The bronze edge sliced through his leather vambraces, cutting deep into the flesh until it stuck bone. Screaming, the soldier relinquished his grip on the hilt... but only with one hand. Jakob forgotten, he slashed at the princess. With only one hand wielding a sword clearly meant for two, his swings lacked any kind of lethal force. Nerr rammed her heel into his knee. There was a loud pop, followed by an even louder scream.

As he fell to the ground, another soldier took his place, his sword coming close enough to Nerr's head to slice into her nose. Shrieking, she backed away, the stench of copper overwhelming as blood poured over her lips. As the samurai closed the distance between them, swinging at her exposed midsection, she twisted her wrist to block his blade. They struggled to get the upper hand, he to drive his sword into her gut, she to continue fending him off even though it felt like her wrist would snap at any moment.

A sudden cry of pain and shock, and the Hoshidan lurched forward. Something shiny flashed in the corner of her eyes, but she had no time to pay attention. The momentary lack of concentration all Nerr needed to drive her makeshift buckler into his chin. Dropping to a knee, she noticed the large gash on the back of his head. Jakob was reaching for another dagger, his previous one beading with blood on the sandy ground. The air behind him glowed, currents of magic kicking up dust and whipping about the disheveled hair of the mage preparing a spell.

     “Jakob, look out!” The princess yelled, knowing that by the time he did so, it would be too late. Orochi lifted her hands, magical energy crackly from her nails like lightning while frost branched out along the ground. She was aiming at Jakob, he was turning around too slowly, it was going to hit him right in the chest and you couldn't amputate _that_ once frostbite set in...

     “Argh!” Something hit her arm, knocking it to the side and launching her spell askew. The illusory rat hit the ground with enough force to make a crater, sending clumps of dirt and stones flying. Gripping her arm, Orochi stared at the sword on the ground. She sent a scathing glare in the direction it had come from, though not for long as Jakob swiped at her head. Gunther didn't have long to correct his over-stepping. Saizou dashed towards him, a blur of black and red. The knight turned, grabbing his lance and swinging it, but the iron haft only passed through a smoky haze.

     “Die!” The shinobi dropped from the air like a ballista shot, daggers clutched in both hands. The older man raised his shield, almost nonchalantly, causing the tiny blades to effortlessly bounce off. In a strange display, Saizou didn't seem discouraged. He landed on the steel plate, not redoubling his efforts to penetrate it, but rather, using it as a springboard. Nerr had seen him land, but not where, her attention focused exclusively on beating back the lancers that seemed intent on breaking her legs. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash of red, but she was unable to gain enough ground to turn around as it grew larger. A loud swoosh resounded so close to her ears that it sent a shudder down her spine. There was a crack, and the ninja went down. As the Hoshidans stared at their fallen ally, Nerr pressed her advantage, driving the Yato into the nearest soldier's thigh, severing enough muscle to make charging her too painful.

A lance with a bronze head, the golden metal covered in a thick layer of patina, hovered above Saizou's chest as he groaned in pain, a large goose egg forming at his right temple. The weapon shook, though not nearly as much as the hands holding it. Azura's eyes were wide, her mouth open as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body was trembling, and as much as Nerr wanted to assure her it was alright, it clearly wasn't. Eyes snapped open, one bright blue, the other a dull, milky white. Kicking the spear away with ease, Saizou rolled back, getting back on his feet (albeit with a bit more difficulty than it should've taken). Grabbing one of the daggers he dropped, the Hoshidan man lunged at the princesses, the visible half of his face dark with blood lust. Nerr blocked his first strike with her shield, aiming her sword at his exposed chest, sparks flying from their blades as he parried her.

     “Ughhh! Azura! Don't just stand there; stab him in the face or something!!”

     “But...!” The singer, rather than aid in her struggle, backed a few feet away. “H-he's Ryouma's retainer...”

     “So!? Agh!” Her sword slipped, causing the dagger to slide along it's edge. It mostly caught on the pronged guard, but the blade was long enough that it still managed to cut a deep nick into her knuckles as they grappled. Seeing this opportunity, Saizou focused on dislodging his knife, going for her hands rather than wasting time with her face. “Gods damn it! If I die here, Azura, I'm haunting your ass!”

     “Please, just let me think-- AHH!” Twangs resounded as pale flashes whizzed past them. With a loud cry of mingled surprise and pain, the songstress stumbled back, clutching her arm. A long silver haft, with white fletching, was lodged just below Azura's shoulder, the blood already staining her long gloves. Taking her eyes off the murderous shinobi for even a second was a suicidal idea, but in doing so, Nerr noticed the group of archers, all in Hoshidan cloth, lead at the helm by Yukimura, who held a bow as well. He was aiming directly for her... The _audacity_.

Gritting her teeth, Nerr waited until his fingers drew the string back as far as it could go. Lowering her sword sharply sent the dagger hurtling dangerously close to her chest, but it was deflected off her breastplate. Before Saizou could right himself, she slammed the pommel of her sword into the back of his head. The prongs, pointed but not particularly sharp, sank in much too deep to have just gone through his short hair. Saizou dropped his kunai, the tip nearly cutting into her foot. For a moment that must've stretched on far longer than it actually was, he stood there, stooped over, making quiet distressed sounds. And then he fell. Nerr wanted to be horrified, disgusted, with what she had done. But she wasn't. There was no time. Before he had even hit the ground, the Norhian girl had already turned. The archers had nocked another arrow, and seemed only to be waiting for Yukimura's signal. Not waiting for it, Nerr charged at him. Dozens of arrows whizzed through the air, an incessant buzz like a mosquito in her ear. It only fuel the anger roiling in the pit of her stomach.

Her vision going gray was the only warning she got before before her jaw dislocated, tearing through the skin as it grew larger. Her skull split, blood running over her brow, but the pain didn't even slow her down. While the flesh was rent from her arm, the arrows rained down, one or two lodging in the exposed muscle before the skin thickened and formed into hard interlocking plates. Hoshido's tactician recoiled, quickly reaching for another arrow, but by the time his hand reached his quiver, she was on him. Fingers, each the size of a short sword and just as sharp, closed around the older man's middle. He was knocked from his fake mount, but the momentum didn't stop just be cause he hit the dirt. Nerr continued running, a juggernaut caught up in fury that grew more powerful with every arrow that plinked off both her armor and scales.

She dragged Yukimura along the ground, the paving stones leading up to the maze tearing at his clothes, and eventually the skin beneath. As they approached one of the levees, she stopped, using the tactician as a doorstop to slow her. His back hit the wall with enough force to crack the plaster. She could feel something inside him crack inside him- if it was his ribs or spine, she had no idea. It seemed it wasn't his spine, however, as the blue-haired man groaned, his head shifting from side to side with purpose rather than just aimlessly lolling. Opening one bleary eye, Yukimura tried to focus on the creature beneath him.

     “What are you--?” He rasped.

 _“Your worst nightmare. Now call off your troops.”_ Despite being in clear agony, the Hoshidan man had enough strength to muster up a dry chuckles.

     “For what? For Nohr to sweep over us and conquer Hoshido without breaking a sweat? I think _not._ ” Despite not having lips, Nerr could feel them curling in disgust. Drawing back, she slammed him back into the walls, widening the cracks and drawing a strangled groan from him.

     “ _I will kill you. Don't think for a second I won't. And then I'll kill all your soldiers, and THEN I'll move onto your royals. What do you think is going to happen to Hoshido **then**? I'm offering you all of your lives. Are you REALLY_ _going to throw that away for your country's 'honor'? There's no honor in stupid, senseless death. You have **one** more chance; surrender.”_ A battle far more intense than the one going on around him played out over the Hoshidan's face. Closing his eyes, his whole body slumping as the fight left him, he nodded. Releasing her grip, Nerr watched as the older man fell to the ground. Curling around his injured ribs, Yukimura climbed to his feet, stumbling a bit.

     “Soldiers... Soldiers!” As he yelled, all the fighting died down enough for silence to fall over the field. Standing as straight as he could manage. “Lower your weapons, all of you. We are to no longer engage with the Nohrians.” At once, the resounding chorus of protest came out.

     “What are you talking about!?”

     “We've got them on the ropes!”

     “To hell with that!”

     “That is enough!” Yukimura shouted. “We will not endanger the lives of the royal family; if Sakura-sama were injured in this skirmish because you all would rather have glory than fulfill your actual duty, it would be on _all_ your heads.” The grumbling grew quieter and quieter until all was silent, though the Hoshidans' expressions remained discontent. Sighing deeply, Nerr backed away, to where the others stood, their own weapons not relinquished but no longer at the ready. Her horns had already begun retracting back into her skull, and she rubbed the now human flesh as it stitched itself shut.

     “Thank the gods that worked.” She whispered to her retainers. “Because I did _not_ have a Plan B for that situation...” Gunther patted her shoulder reassuringly.

     “Every good soldier has to bluff their way out of a situation every now and then.”

     “It doesn't matter _how_ you did it; maybe now we can actually make them listen to us.” Azura threw down the lance she had been holding with disgust better suited for a manure-covered shovel. She ran up to the tactician. Nerr fully expected (and was half hoping) to see her to deck him in the face, but instead the princess dropped to her knees, supplicating herself. “Yukimura-san... please. You must believe us; you must believe _me!_ I would never do anything to cause harm to Hoshido. All I want is to end the senseless violence, and I assure you, that is what Nerr wants too.” The bespectacled man stared at her, shaking his head slowly and looking much older than he probably was.

     “How can you expect me to believe you? How can I trust someone who has turned against everything I love, who brings... _Nohrians_ into our midst!?”

     “You want to bring up the _Nohrians?_ ” Nerr stomped up to him, a few Hoshidan soldiers nearby flinching away. It didn't help that her left arm was still longer than the right, her wrist hanging down below her knees. “Those are my retainers, the people I grew up with; the people who raised me. _They_ didn't flip their shit and order an attack the moment they saw me. _They_ didn't start calling me 'Princess Traitor' because they thought I was cavorting with the enemy. Why did you even want me back if you were going to try and kill me the second I said or did something you don't agree with?! Is _that_ what my mother told you to do; to turn on her children the second she's not around to keep you in check?!” Yukimura flinched, his face pale, stricken.

     “You don't get to bring Mikoto-sama into this!” Orochi stormed up to them, her hair in disarray, the golden combs that once adorned it having fallen out, now hanging from the tangled strands. She still clutched her arm, which looked swollen, the tight sleeve she wore bloody by the elbow. Disgust and anger shone through the tears that spilled out every time she blinked. “ _You're_ the one who took her away from us! You want us to trust you?! Then bring back all the lives you took! Bring back Mikoto-sama! Give her back! _Give her back!!”_ She lunged at Nerr hysterically, her long nails leaving bright pink welts that dotted with blood across her face. Azura leapt up, trying to hold the other woman back. The mage screamed furiously, but quickly dissolved into tears, sobbing bitterly.

     “You heard her.” Yukimura's voice was cold, but through the dusty lenses, his eyes seemed especially bright too. “Mikoto-sama would believe you. So bring her back and you'll have an audience for your claims.” Pressing a hand to her bloody cheek with a wince, Nerr sneered at the Hoshidans.

     “You're just all manner of stupid, aren't you? Believe you me; were it at all within my power, I would bring back every life lost that day. But you either never noticed, or simply do not care that _I_ was the target of that attack. I didn't kill your empress; she gave her life to save mine. Instead of being so belligerent towards me, maybe your time would be better spent asking how _Nohrians_ could orchestrate an attack on Hoshidan soil while your stupid little bubble that kept them from attacking was still up...!”

     “W-what...?” The tactician's eyes widened, his mouth agape. Behind her, whispers started up again, not angry but confused, almost scared.

     “She's right!” Azura pushed the mage back, moving to stand beside the other princess. “ _Nohrians_ could only attack well after Empress Mikoto was already dead. Even if the murder weapon was provided by King Garon, no one from Nohr could've carried out that attack, and in your hearts, you know that!”

     “Lies...” A chill ran down her spine as the princess turned around to see an ever more loathsome head of red hair approach. Saizou's gait was unsteady, and he lost his balance quite frequently, but still pushed away the hands of the soldiers who tried to help him. He'd pulled his mask down, and she could see the vomit-stained lips pulled back in a sneer. “Treasonous lies...! Trying to instill doubt in the hearts of Hoshidans... It doesn't matter _who_ the perpetrator was- it could've been some fucking Mokushuujin for all it matters! Garon was the one behind it, and _you_ were the one who set it all into motion. Your serpent's tongue won't sway _my_ heart, anyan whore.” He reached into his robes pulling forth a scroll. It unrolled, hitting the ground, but he didn't seem to care, slicing his thumb with the blade on his vambrace and smearing the blood across the parchment. It was the strangest, most unnerving ritual Nerr had ever seen.

     “What are you--?”

     “If I have to sacrifice my life to rid our land of these Nohrian fiends, then so be it. It's a sacrifice _all_ of you should've made, damnable cowards!” Whilst holding the scroll with two fingers, the other three made rapid gestures. Embers sparked across the parchment, singing the the paper and growing into full formed flames. For a moment, it seemed that was all that would happen. Then the heat hit. It was like a shock wave, comparable to the one that had followed the blast in Shirasagi, knocking those closest to it off their feet. A storm of embers flew through the air, burning all they came in contact with, swirling around Saizou in a vortex. Ha barely seemed to notice his clothes burning away, his skin blistering. Nerr was entranced by the fiery whirlpool, so much so that she barely noticed the clanking of armor until a hand grabbed her elbow tightly and began pulling.

     “Gunther? What are you--?!”

     “It's a kamikaze attack; he's going to kill us all!” She had no idea what a “kamikaze” was, but given the tremor of fear in the knight's voice, and the fact that most, if not all, of the soldiers began fleeing was proof enough that it wasn't something she wanted to find out about first hand. The embers joined together, forming flames that made the air shimmer.

     “I believe in Hoshido... I will stop you...!”

     “Nii-san, no!” A large shuriken flew through the air, piercing the flames and striking Saizou's shoulder. The unexpected attack caused him to flinch, dropping the scroll. At once, the flames died down, the ninja looking around for the source of the attack with hatred in his eyes.

     “Who was that!? Which one of you traitors would betray Hoshido for the Nohrians!?”

     “Saizou-san! D-don't hurt my s-sisters!!” A patter of feet on the stone within the maze grew louder. A young girl, accompanied by another ninja, rushed out. The Hoshidan princess' clothes were covered in blood, but she didn't seem injured. Certainly distressed as she ran towards Azura. Saizou faltered at the sight of the royal.

     “Sakura-sama, why are you interfering? These aren't Hoshidans; they've turned against us, against _you!_ ”

     “T-that isn't for you to decide!” Sakura shouted, her brows furrowed as she pulled her face from Azura's midsection. “Regardless of what they did, Azura nee-sama and Nerrida nee-sama are _still_ princesses of Hoshido! W-would you attack _me_ if I 'turned against' Hoshido?”

     “Of course not!”

     “Then you sh-shouldn't attack _them!”_ The green haired shinobi stepped forward, grabbing one of Saizou's burnt arms.

     “Saizou, you mustn't be so rash! I know you view betrayal with no leniency, but what if you had been successful in your attack? What would you say to Ryouma-sama to explain the deaths of two of his sisters? Of countless of our own soldiers??” The other ninja mouthed wordlessly, unable to give any answers. As Suzukaze released his arm, he didn't launch another attack, but instead let it fall to his side.

     “I don't...”

     “Nii-san, when I was a prisoner in Nohr, Nerrida-sama spared Rinkah-sama and myself. She risked her own life to try and have King Garon pardon us, and when that didn't work, she allowed us to escape. That isn't betraying Hoshido; if anything, it's betraying Nohr!”

     “Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves...” Nerr interjected. She would be damned if some backstabbing Hoshidan accused her of betraying her home. They paid her no mind, though it was probably for the best. Fiddling with the hem of her skirt, Sakura stepped forward.

     “R-regardless of what you think about Nerrida nee-sama, you should all be ashamed of yourselves for not believing Azura nee-sama. Sh-she's lived in Hoshido longer than I have! They didn't kill a single soldier, even though I _know_ you all are the ones that started this attack. What would Mother say if she saw this; how can you forget about th-the need for peace that she preached?! How can you d-d-desecrate her m-memory like this!?” To their credit, the soldiers looked away, shamefaced at being called out by one they actually respected. Azura reached out, stroking the younger girl's hair.

     “Thank you, Sakura-chan. All we wanted was a chance to explain ourselves.”

     “Then explain.” Yukimura spat, still seething in bitterness. “You claim Nohr isn't responsible for the most recent attack; who is then?”

     “Anankos.” Nerr said without thinking. Azura said they couldn't speak of Valla, but they'd been mentioning it's usurper since they left. Whispers rippled out amongst the soldiers, cut through by a high pitched bark of laughter from Orochi.

     “Anankos?! What the hell is that supposed to be? Some piddly warlord working in tandem with King Garon?”

     “Yes.” Azura said plainly. “He _is_ working with Garon, but believe me, he is much more than a warlord. He's already laid waste to one kingdom, and he won't stop until he's done the same to both Hoshido _and_ Nohr.”

     “What kingdom?” Saizou rasped, his arms crossed. “Give us proof that this is as you say.”

     “We can't. If we do, we'll be cursed to die.” Nerr told him, mentally cringing at how stupid that sounded aloud. Indeed, the Hoshidans laughed at her words, with Yukimura shaking his head in disgust.

     “You must think us fools to believe such a poorly conceived story.” The Nohrian princess whipped around to face him, pointing the Yato at his face.

     “...you're talking to _dragon_ who wields a holy sword that was stuck in a rock, and _this_ is the thing you're doubting? There's a mage not three feet from you, and you're honestly doubting the existence of curses...?! _This_ is why you're going to get killed and conquered; because you're all _idiots_ and this is nature's way of keeping you from breeding!” Tying her sword back to her waist, the princess threw her hands up. “That's it! I'm done with you all! I'm done pretending to give a fuck! You can all die and burn in Hell for all I care! Gunther, Jakob, Azura; we're leaving!”

     “But--” The songstress attempted to interject, only to be met with a manic shriek.

 _“We're!! Leaving!!”_ She turned on her heel, heart pounding in time to the throbbing in her temples. Everything spun as she took the first few steps away, not bothering to see if anyone was following her. Of course they were, they weren't stupid... well... maybe Azura was. Sure enough, she soon heard a familiar clank of steel plates, and Jakob caught up with her in a quick sprint. Azura was probably bringing up the rear, and if not, who cared? She didn't have the sense to see a lost cause right in front of her; she'd just hold them back.

     “W-wait! Nee-sama, please!” Pausing, Nerr looked over her shoulder. Surprisingly, the singer _was_ following, albeit at a slower pace, but even more surprising, Sakura was running after her.

     “Sakura-sama, what are you doing!? Stop!” Yukimura reached out in a desperate bid to grab her, but she had already passed him. To Nerr's surprise, the princess ran straight past her sister, and to... her. She doubted such a young child would be able to attack her with much success, but the sight of a Hoshidan charging put her on her guard nonetheless.

     “What is it? What do you want...?”

     “Um...” The way she pulled at that skirt, it seemed ready to tear at any moment. “Please... t-take me with you! I-I'm not very good at fighting, b-but I'm sure I can find a way to help!”

     “What?!” Multiple voices joined hers, all expressing the same confusion and disbelief.

     “Sakura-sama, have you gone mad!?” Orochi cried out. “Are you really turning your back on Hoshido too!?”

     “No!” The young girl stomped her foot in frustration. It was almost cute, the kind of thing Elise would do when she was being ignored... “N-no one is betraying Hoshido but _you_ , why can't you see that?! Y-you're turning on the royal family just because they're s-saying things you don't like hearing! W-well, I don't like hearing it either; I don't like thinking there's someone out there scarier than Nohr, b-but... I trust Azura nee-sama. And... I-I trust Nerrida nee-sama... Even though she's mean... a-and scary... I don't think she's trying to trick us.”

     “I don't _need_ to trick you.” The Nohrian stated. “If I wanted to kill you all, I'd be here with an _army_ , not two retainers and a street musician. If I was with Nohr, I'd be sweeping through the countryside with a battalion, not wasting my breath trying to save you from yourselves.”

     “...you can't deny that makes much more sense.” Suzukaze said. He inhaled deeply, and walked away from the other ninja, taking a spot besides Sakura and dropping to one knee, leaving Nerr with her hand on the hilt of her sword. “I believe you speak the truth, Nerrida-sama, and even if you didn't, I owe you my life. I, too, would like to accompany you on your quest.”

     “Kaze!” Saizou ran forward, though he was stopped by a lance leveled at throat height by Gunther. “You can't mean this!”

     “I do, brother.” He spoke gravely. “I do not question what you do in the service of your liege; do not question what I do in the service of mine.”

     “What?!”

     “Liege!? Oh, hell no!” Jakob grabbed the kneeling man by his scarf, tossing him back. The ninja quickly righted himself, back on his feet in an instant, though he made not attempt to move closer. The steward grabbed his mistress' hands, an imploring look in his eyes. “Milady, you _can't_ honestly consider having these... _Hoshidans_ join us! You see how they act; attacking their own while trying to have a civil discussion. We'll always be at risk!” In truth, he was saying exactly what she was thinking. She already didn't trust that Suzukaze; letting him go was the whole reason all of this started in the first place. Azura stepped forward, a shaking hand trying the staunch the blood still leaking from her arm.

     “Nerr. Regardless of what you think about Hoshidans, it might be wise to let them come with us. Even going back to Nohr we'll have to pass through several Hoshidan prefectures. You and I are already thought of as traitors, but everyone knows and loves Sakura. Things would be much easier with her around.”

     “Y-yeah! I told you I could h-help!” The draconic princess inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Azura was less stupid than she gave her credit for, appealing to the pragmatic side of things. Opening them, she addressed the group as a whole.

     “They can stay until we get to Nohr. Then they're going back.” Sakura opened her mouth, undoubtedly to protest given her expression, but a thin hand in a white glove closed over her lips before she could speak.

     “That's fine, Nerr. We should get going now.” She quickly ushered her little sister forward. Suzukaze followed suit, issuing a quick bow in Nerr's direction as he passed. Jakob watched them go, positively fuming.

     “Are you alright with this, my lady?” Gunther asked as he approached. Groaning softly, Nerr pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure there. Her arm too was burning, the shaft of an arrow lodged deep within her muscle.

     “I'm too tired to fight it. They'll be Azura's problem. And if they turn on us, well... I'll just do what I should've done back in Krakenburg.”

000

They headed further south, pausing once the white walls of the fort were out of sight. Azura has squealed and writhed as Jakob cut a deeper gash in her arm to remove the arrow embedded there. The head was thin, tapered. With a strong enough bow and arm, they could pierce weak armor like what Nerr wore easily. Hopfully the Hoshidans wouldn't realize that. She wasn't nearly as animated as her own injuries were dealt with- arrows were new. Having sharp things pulled out of her flesh wasn't.

Their momentary break was soon over, and they resumed walking in silence. Or rather, Nerr walked in silence. Azura spoke rather animatedly with Sakura and Suzukaze, wincing occasionally as she told them what Saizou had said about Ryouma disappearing near Izumo. For the most part, it was a whole bunch of words the Nohrian princess barely understood. Her retainers remained close to her, with Gunther asking several times if she wouldn't rather ride than walk. If she'd had less pride she would've agreed, given that her legs felt like jelly, but she declined every time, instead insisting he take his own advice.

     “Heh, I think it better that I get used to walking around. I haven't been in the thick of things like this for years.”

     “Maybe you should consider going back into retirement...” Jakob muttered under his breath.

     “U-um...!” Tearing her attention away from her muddled mind, Nerr looked up from her feet to see Sakura standing in front of her.

     “Yes? Did you need something?”

     “I-I just wanted to thank you for letting me come with you. I don't think I could bear w-waiting around at home while Ryouma nii-sama and Takumi nii-sama are missing. I'm not strong, but... I want to be. I want to be helpful...!” In a strange way, she reminded Nerr so much of Elise. Probably because they were both at a similar age, both the youngest in a family of warriors. Of all the Hoshidans, this one was the least offensive.

     “I'm sure you're plenty helpful, Sakura. One's skill on the battlefield isn't the only measure of strength, after all.”

     “R-really...?”

     “Sure, why not.”

     “I'm glad you're being less petulant about this, Nerr.” Azura looked a bit too smug with her smile than she had any right to be, a fact the other princess silently relayed to her with a deadpan glare.

     “Only because I'm tired. Maybe if you actually, I don't know, _fought_ in a battle you would understand how that feels.” That wiped the smile off her face, but there was no enjoyment to be had in that victory. Nerr shut her eyes again. “How long will it take to get to Nohr this way?” Gunther looked around, rubbing his unshaven chin.

     “Given that we're heading south, and undoubtedly towards Izumo, I'd say... three or four weeks to get to the border, if we make good time. Maybe five if we don't. It takes longer with a larger platoon, but then we'd have supplies.” The princess stared at him, physically biting her tongue to keep from saying the words she was thinking so loudly; _'What if I just ditch you all and cut across back to the chasm by myself...?'_ It was disgusting that she could even think such a thing. She chalked it up to stress. Continuing to walk, she didn't even turn towards the singer as she passed her.

     “What exactly do you hope to do upon finding Ryoma Sama? You see how well our explanations go- we said everything we could without mentioning That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named, and all of Hoshido thinks we're mental now.”

     “Not Sakura. Not Kaze. And, regardless of what he claims, I know Yukimura doesn't either. You made a good point back there, Nerr.” The songstress caught up to her, giving her the chance to look into the golden eyes staring at her.

     “I made a lot of good points; you'll have to be more specific.”

     “What we're saying might sound crazy, but _everything_ that's been happening is crazy. By all accounts, people have believed that Manaketes were long extinct. They believed the Yatogami was a myth. Both those things have been proven to be real, so only a fool wouldn't at least _acknowledge_ the possibility that we're telling the truth. That possibility is a small thing to build an alliance on... but people have gone to war for less. I'm just hoping they would be willing to _stop_ a war for as much.” Nerr let out a dry laugh.

     “To think, they call _me_ naïve. But I suppose you're right. Stranger things have happened than royals believing fairy tales...”

000000000000

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- I don't even know what this chapter was. A part of my mind thinks the fight scene wasn't long enough, but it wasn't meant to be more than a small skirmish. Hopefully things will be more interesting during the next big action scene, but that won't be for at least a few more chapters. Y'know, it always baffled me that no one tried to talk about what was going on without mentioning Valla. Like, Azura knows Anankos is the one behind it, and you can clearly say his name (as evidenced by Garon saying it all the time). Just... don't mention Valla, maybe? Make it out that Anankos is some wandering, Walhart-esque conquerer and no one knows about him because he leaves no survivors in his wake? There are so many ways to get around this stupid curse that I'm keeping in because I actually like the curse (I really think it's fun that Anankos would put a geas on his kingdom's name to further punish his people)- just not the stupid, unimaginative people dealing with it. Oh well. Nerr is nothing if not... unorthodox.


	6. Baleful Rumblings

000000000000

Ch.6- “Baleful Rumblings”

000000000000

The sun was still bright in the sky when they stopped. Jakob snapped at the Hoshidans that they were burning daylight, but Sakura timidly (and from behind Azura's dress) informed him that it was night. It was hard to gauge the flow of time when the sun barely set. Nerr was used to waking up when it as still dark out (much to her chagrin)- it felt like a waste to stop walking as long as she could still see, but as she sat on the tough grass, all the strength left her at once. She let herself fall back, paying no mind to how dusty and itchy and hot she was- how could it be late autumn? This was practically summer weather.

She closed her eyes, the smattering of voices growing louder, though no more discernible, without the added stimulation. She could better feel the blades of grass poking her through her tights and gloves. In her mind's eye, she could see their roots, burrowing into the ground _where bodies had fallen and decayed, the lush green turning a sickly red streaked with yellow and purple and pulsating--_

She opened her eyes quickly, her heart racing as though she had been running for hours. A familiar whiff of iron and leather and salt with an undertone of putrefaction grew stronger as Gunther moved to sit beside her. The knight lowered himself to the ground with a slight groan. She smiled without thinking.

     “What's so amusing, Lady Nerr?”

     “Hmm... you go into battle without breaking a sweat, but sitting on the ground seems to be a cumbersome task.”

     “I don't have to stoop down so low in battle. My knees are protesting being back in Hoshido, with it's egregious lack of chairs.” His own grin dimmed a bit. She could see where the once pristine bandages were beginning to turn an unsightly pink. “Is something wrong, my lady? You seemed to be having a night terror... without the benefit of sleeping.” ' _I'm hallucinating that the grass is_ _people_ _...!'_

     “I'm just thinking about what we're going to do next. Being in Hoshido again was never part of my plan. I thought I'd be halfway back to Krakenburg by this time. ...but I guess I'm just as naïve as Azura for thinking it would be that easy.” Gunther reached out, hesitated, then patted her hand. It felt like his touch lingered just a little longer than was proper, but that was probably another hallucination.

     “You've already handled more hardships than I thought to prepare you for with a poise and strength of character I don't think any of us expected. I am sure that, regardless of what happens in Nohr, you'll come through it whole. Perhaps more jaded, perhaps more hurt and scarred, but whole.” Nerr stared at him, something welling up under her lungs until it felt like they were going to burst. She scoffed softly, looking away.

     “I think you give me far too much credit, Gunther. I'm no leader; I'm not brave. I'm not strong. I'm just... stubborn and spiteful. _Azura_ wants to end the war, _she's_ the one that wants peace. I just want to go home and go to sleep...”

     “I've fought battles for stupider reasons.” For a moment, the conversation lapsed, leaving them in a silence that was warm and comfortable. She could've stayed like that forever, just ignoring the fact that there was a war going on and she was wearing a dead person's armor. In fact, she might have too, if given the opportunity.

     “Nerr.” The Nohrian girl groaned loudly, rolling her eyes until they hurt.

     “ _Whaaaat?”_ It was almost like Azura just _knew_ the worst time to possible speak up.

     “Sakura, Kaze and I have decided we're going to stop in Kazeho before Izumo to see if the daimyo there has any information as to what happened with Ryouma.”

     “The what?

     “Duke.” Gunther supplied for her. She was tempted to ask how he knew so much about Hoshido, before she remembered he'd been here during the last war. He probably picked up words just as she was doing now.

     “Ah.” She turned back to the singer. “So? What does that have to do with me?”

     “...we wanted to know if you were going to accompany us, or if our paths part ways soon.” It was so tempted to say yes, they _would_ part ways. It would be a dream to just forget everything about Hoshido, everything about Valla, to go back to Nohr like nothing ever happened. ...but things very much happened. She couldn't pretend to be blind to it if she tried.

     “No. We will be going with you. Hopefully, this Kah-zey-hoe has scabbards.” The Yato, while still bouncing off her jerry rigged cuisse, but that didn't stop the blade from scraping dangerously close to her calves with every step she took.

     “They do.” Azura assured her, sitting down on her other side of Nerr. “Kazeho is home to great warriors.” The singer paused, looking up to the orange and purple sky. She seemed completely oblivious to the moment she was ruining... but then again, maybe there _was_ no moment. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation; maybe Gunther was secretly grateful there was someone to save him from what was probably a very awkward silence. “...when dawn turns to dusk, when dusk turns to dawn... then the door will spawn...”

     “Is that some Hoshidan poem?” Azura shook her head, her long hair billowing around her like a cloak.

     “My mother used to tell me that. It's about the passage in the Infinite Chasm... I don't exactly know what it means. I assumed it was dependent on the time of day.” The silence returned. The singer was probably thinking about that riddle; Nerr's mind had wandered to something else entirely, and she was so engulfed in that train of thought that the deep voice all too close to her made her gut lurch.

     “Every few decades, the skies over Nohr and Hoshido reverse; Nohr gets near constant sunlight, and Hoshido is cast into darkness.”

     “What?” The Nohrian princess sat up, her brows furrowed. She'd never heard about that. It seemed Azura hadn't either, for she looked just as confused.

     “That's a thing that happens? I've never heard of it.”

     “It's in the almanacs.” Gunther stated plainly. “But it's easily passed off as a superstition by those who haven't seen it firsthand. You're all too young to know of it; the last time it happened was when I was child, so... maybe fifty years ago?” The blunette paled.

     “That's more than a 'few' decades. It must have opened then, which means that this time, it'll close. If we try to get there through the Chasm when it closes, it won't be Infinite for us.” Nerr frowned at that assessment.

     “Then we could just go through that lake--”

     “ _No._ We _can't_.” Azura stated firmly. “We only have as much time as it'll take for the pass at the border to close. It can't be more than a few months. Well... maybe it _could_ , but I'm not willing to take that chance. I just pray that'll be enough time. I thought all I had to do was convince Ryouma, but now I have to hope he's still alive first...”

000

No one was very well rested when they began their trek the next day. Sakura quietly complained that they'd barely had enough sleep. For Nerr (and, to no surprise, Jakob and Gunther) it had simply been too bright to sleep. Despite being in Hoshido for well over two weeks, it wasn't enough to undo almost two decades of patterns. The young princess walked a bit too close for comfort, unsightly bags beneath her eyes as she looked up at her older sister.

     “I-is it true that it's always dark in Nohr? Azura nee-sama said it was, b-but she always tells scary stories...”

     “Yes. I fail to see what that has to do with horror stories.” The Hoshidan looked away.

     “I-I just can't imagine it always being dark. Shadows everywhere, no sunlight when you wake up... it sounds t-terrible.” She shuddered slightly.

     “I assure you it's not.” Jakob intoned, rolling his neck in pain. “It's a damn sight more peaceful than _this_ , that's for sure. It feels like Hoshido was designed only for the blind. There's not even any damn shade.”

     “There's a little bit of shade.” Nerr pointed at a patch of shadows on the grass amidst the otherwise strong sunlight. She looked up, immediately regretting it. “...huh. I thought it would be cloudy, but it's not.” Suzukaze stopped, examining the shadow with a frown on his face.

     “That isn't a cloud shadow, Nerrida-sama. Something is approaching. From up there.” He pointed towards the sky, but all she could see was a blinding blue and the red afterimage burned into her retinas.

     “It's too damn bright; I can't see a thing!”

     “I can!” Sakura said, excitement battling fear in her voice. “It's getting closer! I-I think it's a pegasus!”

     “What are those damned Hoshidans planning now...?” Gunther spat, clenching his lance as though it were a javelin.

     “W-wait!” The young girl cried. “I think I recognize that p-pegasus!” The sound of wings beating the air could be heard, faint but growing louder. Just over it, a voice called out.

     “Sakura-saaaaaaaama!!!”

     “Th-that's Hana-san!”

     “Who?” Nerr didn't have long to wonder as a massive gust hit them, kicking up dust and dying grass and leaving everyone coughing. A snowy white horse landed a few yards from them, folding it's enormous wings close to it's body.

     “Whew... We finally caught up to you, milady!”

     “Sakura!!!” A male and female voice called out in tandem. Climbing down the side of the mount, a young woman who seemed to be about the same age as the Hoshidan princess ran up to her, her long brown hair a frazzled cloud. “Sakura, did you even realize you left us behind? How could you???”

     “Hana-san... I'm sorry. I-I didn't want to, but I don't think Nerrida nee-sama was going to w-wait for you two to come back...” This new, loud girl who wore a samurai's garb (though in a hideous shade of pink) looked towards Nerr, her youthful face contorting into a frown.

     “Why wouldn't you wait for us? What are you plotting, trying to get Sakura-sama alone???” The teal-haired girl blinked, shaking her head to try and clear it. Maybe staring at the too-bright sky had fried her brain.

     “...I'm sorry, _who_ are you?”

     “Um... Th-these are my retainers, nee-sama. This is Kazehana-san, and that's Tsubaki-san” She pointed towards a willowy soldier leading the pegasus over to the group. Nerr's first assumption was that it was a woman, given the long, lustrous hair cascading down their back and their slim figure, but then remembered the man's voice she had heard. He bowed slightly.

     “It is a pleasure to meet you properly, Nerrida-sama. You'll have to forgive Hana; Sakura-sama's lenience has caused her to forget her manners.”

     “I didn't forget anything; I'm just not a kiss-ass like you.” The two glowered at one another, until Sakura stepped between them, her arms outstretched to keep them apart.

     “Instead of bickering, would s-someone please tell me how you found us?” Leaning back, Hana's frown quickly turned into a smile as she looked at the princess.

     “Oh, that's easy; Yukimura told us where you were going.” Tsubaki crossed his arms over his chest.

     “When we'd heard you were on a mission to discover Ryouma-sama and Takumi-sama's whereabouts, we were torn between wanting to chase after you at once, and wanting to return to the capital to tell Hinoka-sama where you were--”

     “Not me. I wasn't torn. I just took off after you.” The samurai stated proudly. Sakura looked down at her feet, her brows furrowed slightly.

     “Oh... th-that's right. I took off without telling Hinoka nee-sama where I was going... she's expecting me back soon...”

     “You needn't worry, milady. Yukimura-san already sent her a missive detailing everything.”

     “I certainly hope not 'everything'...” Azura muttered under her breath. Given the distrust and obvious loathing he still viewed them with, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the Hoshidan tactician spun some story that they were kidnapping the girl. The thought of a swarm of Hoshidan soldiers breathing down the back of her neck made Nerr shudder.

     “Alright, we've got that all settled. Let's keep going; there's already too much distance between us and Nohr without wasting time on explanations that can wait until night.” She began walking, again, and Jakob quickly caught up to her.

     “Milady, are you certain you're alright with this... entourage, so to speak? Bad enough that _ninja_ wormed his way into your midst, but now two more loud, annoying pests?” The princess closed her eyes, the pressure behind them making her nauseous. Damned if she didn't know where he was coming from; it seemed the newcomers were once again arguing. It wasn't as though she wasn't used to that - her own retainers did the same thing, but that was just it; she was _used_ to it from them. Not so with these Hoshidans (especially the girl; her voice was particularly grating). Still...

     “They're Sakura's retainers. If you and Gunther weren't here with me, I'd be a nervous wreck. Loathe as I am to admit it, I'd feel guilty if I didn't allow her the same comfort.” The butler sighed quietly.

     “You have a heart of gold, Lady Nerr. I only hope these Hoshidans are properly grateful for your kindness.” The princess laughed under her breath. She somehow doubted they gave her than more than a passing thought, but that was fine by her. She had more important things to think about than what they thought of her.

The hours turned to days, all of which passed in a haze to Nerr. She had never thought marching would be interesting, per se, but she'd always thought it would be... _better_ than this. Perhaps because she always imagined herself in a platoon, surrounded by the brave Nohrian soldiers she'd looked up to and admired all her life. Regardless of the revelations that had come to light, she would never feel that connection to Hoshido or it's people. Sakura constantly peppering her with questions proved to be more of an annoyance than anything, though she tried her hardest to remain civil if not amiable when speaking to the younger girl. Even thinking of her as “sister” felt foreign and uncomfortable. ...she wondered what Elise was doing. It was unlikely Garon would allow an untrained child on the battlefield- especially when that child was his own. Xander and Camilla and Leo were probably all out with their own squadrons. Maybe some were even preparing for the journey to Shirasagi...

     “Nerr!” She blinked hard, frowning at the singer who seemed to materialize by her elbow.

     “What?? Why are you yelling at me?”

     “I've been calling your name for a solid minute.” Gods above, had she been _that_ spaced out? And while walking in enemy territory with no cover?? Why was Gunther not biting her head off over this? Despite the heat she could feel blooming in her cheeks, Nerr kept her expression impassive.

     “Unless we're under attack, I fail to see what's so urgent.” There was something about Azura's expression that unnerved her. She was clearly frustrated, that much was obvious, but there was some other emotion simmering just below the surface of her pale skin. Those eyes alone were unnatural; Lilith's never creeped her out in quite the same way, but perhaps that was because she'd known the equerry for years. Maybe they too had seemed unnerving in those first few weeks...

     “...are you always like this?”

     “I can assure you, I'm usually much more aware of my surroundings.”

     “No. I mean like _this_.” Nerr had no idea what she was talking about, shrugging haplessly. The songstress looked away, her frown never fading. “Mikoto-sama used to talk about you. Often, and at great length. Sometimes it was to tell Sakura and Takumi about you, other times it was reminiscing with Hinoka and Ryouma... well, more so Hinoka than Ryouma. Regardless of why she told them, the stories she told were always the same. She always said you were bright and cheerful... that you always laughed and smiled.”

Nerr felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. It wasn't the fact that a veritable stranger had been talking about her like they knew her... it was the fact that the person Azura was describing at once sounded just like her... and also like a stranger. It was easy to remember laughing and smiling and not worrying about what the next day would bring. Gods above, it hadn't even been a whole month since her siblings had come to spend her birthday with her. It felt like a lifetime ago...

     “Azura. How old were you when you were taken to Hoshido?”

     “Six.”

     “Right. And you yourself said you were taken after I was already in Nohr. You realize, then, that I was younger than you at that time, yes? That person that Empress Mikoto talked about was a _child_. A child that dropped off the face of the earth fifteen years ago. I'm not that child anymore, Azura. I haven't been for a very long time. So you'll have to forgive the woman who is facing a war on _three fronts_ for not cracking jokes and reminiscing with you...!” The world shimmered like quicksilver for a moment, the very ground under her feet rippling just the same. She spread her arms wide to keep her balance.

     “...Nerr? Are you alright?”

     “My head...” She groaned without thinking, her mind clearing as her vision returned to normal. “It's nothing, I'm fine, just... leave me be for a moment.” Being forced to think about the Hoshidans was giving her a headache. Actually, it was only exacerbating it; the migraine that had been hounding her since arriving in this hellhole had never fully gone away. Coming to Hoshido had ruined everything, and Azura was trying to make her feel guilty for not being the perfect Hoshidan everyone had expected her to be. If that was what they had wanted, it was no wonder everyone was so quick to try and kill her. There was no point in some random Nohrian bitch wasting their space; they knew exactly who had been taken to Nohr, and that was who they wanted back. Nerr ground her teeth, despite the painful jolts it sent through her temples.

Not long after that conversation, the small group came across a mountain. There was a clearly defined entrance, with enchanted lanterns surrounding several signs marked with chicken scratch that looked like random squiggles to her.

     “Can we go around?” Nerr asked desperately. Suzukaze stepped forward, sighing deeply.

     “We _could_ , but it would take even longer. The quickest way forward is a straight line, and thus, through the Eternal Stairway.”

     “I assume it's not called 'Eternal' because of how quickly you can make it through?”

     “L-look at the bright side, nee-sama.” Sakura piped up. “At least we're going down. That's easier than climbing up, isn't it?” Nerr walked towards the entrance, sticking her head inside. After days of overly bright sky, it took longer than it should have for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was in fact dark, though she could make out the wide, uneven walls. Further down, there seemed to be a mist swirling around, almost like the haze that clouded Valla. The sight of it caused her stomach to drop to her feet. She pulled back, nearly bumping into Hana, who was already trying to go in.

     “Hey! What's the hold up?”

     “...I'm not going in there.”

     “What?”

     “Why?”

     “Milady, what are you talking about?” Shaking her head, the princess backed away.

     “I have a bad feeling about this.” The samurai girl laughed meanly.

     “Are you saying you're afraid of the dark??”

     “I was _raised_ in the dark, little girl.” Nerr spat. “It takes more to scare me than the pitiful shadows you Hoshidans consider to be 'darkness'.”

     “Then what's wrong, my lady?” The teal-haired girl wrapped her arms around herself. She couldn't put what she felt into words. There was no way to explain the almost painful chill that ran down her spine, the nausea, the pressure she felt even without going in all the way.

     “...it's just not right...” Tsubaki shook his head.

     “I'm sorry, Nerrida-sama, but that's not a very good reason not to take the most pragmatic route.”

     “Perhaps it is.” Suzukaze interjected. “This whole area is, for all intents and purposes, a mass grave. More people have died within the Stairway's depths than have been recorded. It _has_ been know for cave-ins. _And_ toxic gases. Perhaps that is what's making you feel unsettled, milady?”

     “ _WHAT!?_ ” The princess shrieked at him. “People die here in droves because it collapses and is filled with poison-fucking-gas, and it's only just _now_ crossing your minuscule mind to mention that!?” The ninja took a step back in the face of her ire.

     “I didn't want to worry you; it seemed like a bad time to bring it up--”

     “When would've been a _good_ time, then? When we were all choking to death, or maybe after we'd been crushed by several tons of falling rock!? Just when I think Hoshidans can't get any stupider...!” She turned on her heel, storming back to her retainers. “If you all want to take your chances in the haunted cave of death, be my guest. _We're_ going around.” Sakura let out a strained whimper, grabbing onto Azura's hand with both of hers.

     “Nee-sama! I-I-I-I don't want to go in there now!! Wh-what if there are g-ghosts...???” Tsubaki chuckled slightly.

     “There's no need to worry, Sakura-sama; ghosts aren't real.” Nerr scoffed rather loudly.

     “The hell they're not. Personally, I'm more concerned with the _literal_ _death_ that probably awaits anyone stupid enough to go in there, but I wouldn't take my chances with the lingering vengeful spirits either. And it's just now occurring to me; your horse _flies_. Why can't you just take Sakura and what's-her-face there and _fly over it?_ ” The pegasus knight faltered, the color rising in his cheeks.

     “...I have no idea.” He whispered. Azura's frown was more thoughtful than upset this time around.

     “That takes care of _some_ of us, but pegasi can't carry heavy loads for very long. I'm not sure more than two or three of us could get down that way. What about the others?” Nerr looked over to her eldest retainer.

     “Gunther, do you think Caractacus can go down around that deathtrap?”

     “Well, of course he can.” The knight said, a hint of pride in his voice. “The problem would be making round trips. He isn't as young as he once was; I wouldn't want to overtax him.”

     “A return trip won't be necessary. That's three, five...” She counted under her breath, reaching under her breastplate and pulling out her dragonstone. “That just leaves two more. Who knows how to ride a horse and isn't afraid of dragons?”

     “That would be me!” Jakob exclaimed with a surprising (but not unamusing) amount of enthusiasm. Gunther grabbed his collar, pulling him back with a choked gag.

     “The hell it is. You're riding with me, boy.”

     “I'd sooner die! Besides, I must accompany my liege at all times--”

     “Jakob, I don't have a singular fuck to give about your excuses. Now get on the damn horse!” Nerr couldn't help but smile a little. It was sweet that Jakob always worried so much about her. And she knew he demanded absolute propriety, but it wouldn't kill Gunther to be a _little_ less harsh with him at times. She'd have to talk to him about that later.

     “Alright. I guess it's you two.” She looked at Azura and Suzukaze. The singer blanched.

     “I-I don't know if I'm comfortable with this, Nerr.”

     “Then you can be comfortable in the death tunnel with the death gas.” She retorted, gripping the stone tighter. Her bones itched and burned, leaving her with the desperate urge to spasm, seeking some form of relief, but she couldn't move as her tendons were ripped from their anchors. She could feel every inch of skin stretch to tearing before the plates layered over it. Dropping down to all fours, her elbows strained and broke, letting her arms bend the wrong way. The pain only lasted seconds, but the _memory_ of the pain, of ever part of her body shifting into something alien and wrong, clung to her like a layer of scum. She was certain she would've vomited had her stomach not been so far from her mouth in this form. Sighing, she dropped to her knees- well, her front knees- more from exhaustion than anything.

 _“All aboard. Mind your feet.”_ The Hoshidans looked at each other. Inhaling deeply, the shinobi stepped forward. He hesitated, apparently trying to figure out where exactly he could sit- it only just occurred to Nerr that maybe her wings were larger than she thought. Regardless, he seemed to find _some_ location free of excess appendages, and swiftly climbed atop her back. Perhaps it was because of her increased size, or maybe he was just very light, but she could hardly feel him.

     “ _Come on, Azura. We don't have all day.”_ Biting her lip, the songstress squared her shoulders and approached as well. Suzukaze offered her his hand, deftly pulling her up behind him. Nerr looked over her shoulder, still not comfortable that her serpentine neck allowed her to turn her head completely around (even though it _was_ a useful thing to be able to do). _“Are we all settled?”_ Azura looked around, clear discomfort etched into the furrows around her brow. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the ninja's midsection.

     “Just go.” She muttered through clenched teeth. It seemed the others were ready as well. Tsubaki gave a curt head nod as he gripped the reins, Sakura sandwiched between him and a scowling Hana.

     “I suppose we'll be seeing you all at the bottom.” Tugging on the reins, the pegasus' wings spread. It turned around, galloping and beating it's wings until it lifted off the ground. Running along the air, the mount climbed higher and higher, turning around as it rose above the tree tops. There was a clanking of armor as Gunther (and a very sullen Jakob) pulled up beside her.

     “Perhaps it would be best if you follow me, my lady. Maneuvering down an incline can be tricky business even for a skilled rider. I assume it's that much harder for the mount them self.”

She nodded, flexing her talons. She could already feel the pressure building up in her knuckles. Pressing his heels into the charger's sides, the knight directed his steed forward, not at a gallop, which she would've found wonderfully dramatic, but a light canter. Keeping up with that speed was fine, but entering the rocky hills surrounding the mountain was more of an ordeal that she'd thought it would be. With her dull, colorless vision, she couldn't make out the shadows caused by differences in ground level very well. More than once, she missed a step, her entire body lurching forward terrifyingly. Azura let out a tiny scream after one such near tumble, and Nerr looked back to find her with her face half buried in Suzukaze's mantle. The ninja too attempted to look upon her, his expression worried.

     “Azura-sama, are you alright?”

     “I suppose...” Came the muffled reply. “I think I should've ridden with Tsubaki or Sir Gunther, though.” She looked up from the purple cloth, her eyes wide. “You have four feet and a tail; why do you keep tripping?!” Snorting in frustration, the draconic princess continued walking, a bit slower this time, feeling for each step.

     “ _I don't know, Azura, maybe because I have four feet and a tail?! It's not that easy dealing with all these extra limbs, you know. Not to mention I can't see--”_

     “You can't see!? That's it; let me off!” The songstress swung her legs to one side about to slide off, her toes kicking the membrane of skin of Nerr's wings.

     “ _Hey! Watch your feet! What I was **trying** to say is I can't see in color. I can't tell what's rocks and what's holes...”_

     “Really?” Suzukaze's voice was far from the nervous tone Azura's had taken. He seemed surprised... but intrigued. “No color at all?”

_“Sometimes there's a bit of red, but... other than that, no.”_

     “Hmmm....” The ninja hummed thoughtfully, but made no other comment. For a while, they continued walking in silence, but for some reason, the question bothered her. It ate at her mind, sinking it's teeth deeper and deeper until she couldn't take it any more.

     “ _'Hmmm?' what? Why did you ask?”_ He remained silent for a moment, the sighed ever so quietly.

     “I'm sorry if I caused any offense, Nerrida-sama. It was not my intention. It simply made me think.”

     “About what?” Azura's voice still sounded muffled, but less afraid.

     “About the Ancient Ones. They too were dragons, and while legends say that they were manaketes, I wonder how many actually bothered taking on a human form? It never occurred to me until this day that the beings we revere as gods didn't see the world as we did. They gave us the beauty and the bounty that we so often take for granted, and it's likely they couldn't even see how beautiful it truly was...” Nerr felt a strange sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She'd never given the Ancient Ones much thought outside of a cursory feeling of awe or reverence when she studied the old crusades, but for the first time in her life it was painfully clear that their blood flowed through her veins. The gods that shaped Nohr, Hoshido, even Valla- she was looking at the world the same way they did. The world they shaped... the world that could soon be as desolate and haunted as that horrid shell of kingdom at the bottom of the Chasm... Even though everything looked dull and gray to her now, she knew it was vibrant. It was beautiful. Even Nohr, not nearly as lush and fertile as Hoshido, had taken her breath away when she walked through Windmire for the first time. A shudder passed through her. Inhaling deeply, Nerr began walking faster, her own momentum carrying her forward with even greater speed.

     “Nerr? What are you doing??” The panic began creeping back into the singer's voice.

 _“Getting to Kazeho, or whatever it's called. The faster we get there, the faster we get to Izumo and find Ryouma, and the faster we get to Nohr and find Xander and stop them before they destroy everything.”_ She managed to overtake Caractacus, her steps growing more confident as she wove along an uneven path. It only took about twenty or so minutes to reach the base of the mountain at her pace, but her near gallop left her breathing hard. Legs shaking, Nerr took a few more steps before her knees buckled under her. Azura was the first one to get off, falling to the ground and huddling into a ball.

     “Oh gods... oh gods, I never want to do that again... _nothing_ that was in the Eternal Stairway could've been worse than that...”

 _“Next time you're more than welcome to walk.”_ The Nohrian girl rested her head on the grass. She could feel water running down her skin. She had never known that anything draconic could sweat, but that must've been what it was. Suzukaze was more collected in his dismount, landing on his feet and walking over to Nerr's head. She looked up at him, curious about what he was planning. The shinobi bowed deeply.

     “Thank you for carrying me, Nerri-- Nerr-sama.”

 _“Umm... sure.”_ She wasn't sure what had spurred him to remember her actual name, but she wasn't about to complain. With his piece said, he walked over to Azura, helping her to her feet. That was... unexpected, but not unappreciated. He was polite... for a backstabber. Closing her eyes, she released her grip on the dragonstone, feeling her bones crush into smaller versions of themselves, flesh soften, cartilage grind as her limbs regained their usual range of movement. Shuddering, a phantom pain lingering throughout her body, Nerr slowly felt herself over, ensuring everything was back in it's proper place. With more effort than it should've taken, she slipped the cool stone into her cuirass, where it pressed against her sternum.As the minutes passed, her pulse began returning to normal. A shadow passed over the sky, growing darker as it circled lower and lower. The pegasus landed lightly, shaking it's mane as Hana hopped off, holding her arms out to the remaining riders.

     “Jump down, Sakura-sama; I'll catch you!”

     “Oh, um... I-I can do it on my own... I think...” Twisting in the saddle, the princess slowly lowered herself to the ground, clinging to the padded blanket as she desperately reached for terra firma. Walking closer, the young samurai wrapped her arms around the other girl's waist and lifted her, bending backwards to compensate for the additional weight, before setting her down. Tsubaki jumped down with practiced ease.

     “You should've waited for me to do that, Hana. What are you going to do if you throw your back out again showing off?”

     “That was _one_ time!” She hissed under her breath. Sakura sidestepped the bickering pair, walking over to where her sister stood. She stopped by Nerr first, crouching down in front of her with furrowed brows.

     “N-Nee-sama? Are you a-alright?” Nerr nodded, closing her eyes again. Over the talking, she could hear metal armor coming closer. “Are you sure? M-maybe I should use my festal...?”

     “I'm fine.” The princess said quietly. “If anyone needs medical attention, it's Azura. She looked like she was ready to vomit.”

     “Oh! D-don't worry, Azura nee-sama, I'm c-coming...!” The patter of small feet running away was almost enough to cover the hoof beats drawing near. She could hear feet hitting the ground with a subdued grunt.

     “Thank the gods that's over with...” She sat up just as Jakob approached her, skidding to a stop in his haste. “Lady Nerr, are you alright? Are you hurt? Weary? Did you sprain something? The nerve of those Hoshidans, riding you without shame as though you were a common beast of burden..!” Opening her eyes, The Nohrian girl forced herself to smile.

     “I'm fine, Jakob. Really. It was my idea, so no one is to blame but myself. I doubt I'll be doing it again any time soon, though.” She pushed herself to her feet as Gunther approached the others, not bothering to dismount.

     “Now that we're all here, perhaps we should continue, my lady? Unless you think it more prudent to set up a camp here and scout ahead?”

     “It would be wiser to make as much progress as possible while we can.” The ninja stated plainly, grasping Azura's hands as he pulled her to her feet. “We're still a few days off from Kazeho; there won't be much intel to gather between here and there as there isn't much more than sand.” Nerr nodded, rolling her shoulders to try and ease the pressure in her joints.

     “Then we walk until we can't walk any more. The less time we spend in the wilderness, the better- I'd rather not continue stretching what scant provisions we have.” Tsubaki had arrived with a bit of food in his saddlebags, having been informed by Yukimura that they were traveling, but the bland off-white blocks turned Nerr's stomach too much to endure. Lilith had appeared once, dropping off a satchel of hardtack and dried meat before returning to her astral plane. It was much appreciated, even more so since the Hoshidans seemed to think the puck-like biscuits were as disgusting as their food products _actually_ were. Whatever food and water they had was not indefinite, however; an unprepared platoon could not last forever. Once they were all settled, the group continued on their way.

As they walked, the land slowly became less verdant. Every day, the trees thinned out, the grass became browner and browner until it gave way to golden sand. With the sun beaming down on it, it was hot, but the shifting, almost liquid feeling beneath her toes was such a strange, foreign sensation that Nerr barely paid any mind to the heat. The others walked past her as she stooped down, grabbing fistfuls of sand and watching it slip through her fingers, carried away by the ever present strong breeze. There was sand at the Citadel, but it was gray, just like everything else. The color, the texture, everything was so different... A strong gust of wind kicked up, blowing sand into her eyes. Groaning, she stood again, rubbing them vigorously.

     “We're getting close.” Suzukaze pointed out. “Look.” Blinking away the tears, Nerr squinted. It was hard to make anything out through the sand and shimmering air, but well off in the distance, she could make out the silhouette of some sort of monolith. There was more than one, but the others looked smaller.

     “What is that?” She wondered aloud.

     “They're w-windmills. Kazeho is the home of the W-Wind Tribe, after all.” Sakura explained, her tone light and cheery. “Oh, I can't wait until we g-get there. M-my clothes are filthy...”

     “We may want to exercise caution.” Azura sounded much less excited. “The Wind Tribe is a neutral nation, but they don't think particularly well of... Nohrians.” She glanced over at Nerr and her retainers. The teal-haired girl shrugged, unimpressed.

     “I thought I was technically Hoshidan, but it doesn't matter regardless. Any semi-intelligent leader would realize a group of three is hardly there to attempt a coup, and if they're truly neutral, they wouldn't risk making an enemy of either side of the warring countries, intentionally or not. We'll take our chances.” The Hoshidans didn't seem to share her confidence, but if there was one thing Nerr felt she could handle, it was a diplomatic discourse. In fact, the thought that perhaps for once, she could sit down and actually _speak_ to someone rather than talk through swordplay heartened her.

000

The sky had taken on a deep orange hue by the time the gates to the city were in view. Wisps of violet tinged the bottoms of the clouds, but it was nearly impossible to see through the sandstorm. They were close enough that it hardly felt like pushing forward. Ducking her head to try and brush the grains from her lashes, Nerr saw the light from behind her closed eyelids, the darkness flashing bright red for the quickest moment. The others who had seen it head on cried out in shock, and she quickly undid the thong holding the Yato at her side.

     “What's happening? Who goes there?” She only just picked up the quickly fading afterimage of ancient runes, but the figure they surrounded remained present. Dark robes and dark hair stood out starkly against the otherwise light surroundings.

     “Kehehehe... Goodness, Lady Nerr, have you forgotten me already?” Painted lips curled into an unctuous grin. The very sight of it turned Nerr's stomach, but she would not allow herself to be flustered by... _that_.

     “...what's your name again? I want to say... Steve...en...?” A slight tic went off in the eye not covered by his gilded mask, but the sorcerer quickly composed himself.

     “How quickly you've cast aside all thoughts of your past life, it seems. I suppose you've found yourself in... more pleasant company.”

     “Nerr... who is this?” Azura asked in a strained whisper.

     “This? Oh, this is no one. A feculent pile of diarrhea poured into cheap robes that must've thought himself quite clever sending me into a trap. Like I said, no one.” Iago laughed heartily at her words.

     “My, oh my. Such strong words. It seems being surrounded by your heathen kin has brought out the worst of you--”

     “What do you want?” Hana had drawn her sword, holding it at the ready as she glared at the Nohrian man. He gave her a sidelong glance, his lips twisting in abject disgust.

     “Ugh... Hold your tongue, yellow devil; no one's speaking to you. _This_ is the bitch I'm addressing.” His expression returned to it's uncanny delight as he looked back at Nerr. “I'm disappointed I missed you in the stairway, Byak-sama. I had a lovely gift planned out for-- gih!!” He recoiled as the golden blade of the Yato passed through his midsection, smoke curling around it. Scoffing, Nerr pulled her blade back.

     “An illusion. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. Ignore this thing.” She told the others. “It's just here to distract us.” She didn't know what kind of elder magic was used to create such an illusion, but it was good- she could hear him grinding his teeth in frustration as she walked through the smoky apparition. The others didn't seem quite as unconcerned. Sakura shrank away, hiding behind Azura's legs.

     “N-Nee-sama, wh-what are we supposed to do about him?”

     “I sincerely doubt he's just here to say hello...” Jakob scowled, pulling out a dagger. Iago nodded, smiling widely at Nerr.

     “Your chambermaid is right. Alas, I'm much too busy planning the decimation of Hoshido for mere pleasantries. I'm afraid this is strictly business.” Raising his hand as though he were casting a spell, no runes or light appeared, but a loud crack, like a ballista firing, went off, causing everyone to flinch. The princess clenched her jaw, turning back to face him.

     “Is this what you're here to do? Give us headaches?”

     “Oh no, my dear savage. Not you; _them._ ” He pointed behind her, and without thinking, Nerr turned. A pair of men in Hoshidan robes were running from the gates, while others, all armed, stayed back.

     “What was that?”

     “All of you! Don't move! State your business!” The sorcerer bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile.

     “My business is the best...” He whispered so only the princess could hear, moving his hands to cast another spell. The guards stopped running, their faces contorting, as if in pain. The air around them distorted, ripping like water. Something snapped, leading to one of the guards screaming as his leg bent at the shin. There were more cracks, limbs twisting until the skin tore, winding tight enough for slivers of bone to break off in the muscles. Their bodies were wrung tighter and tighter, squeezing blood out onto the sand... the twisting stopped... and the remains were rent apart, sending skin and bones and dark clumps of organs splattering wetly onto anything in their path. Something soft landed on Nerr's shoulder, falling off and into the dirt to lie there like a dropped piece of beef.

     “What...?”

     “Gods, what was that!?” She looked up, tearing her eyes away from the meat to see the other soldiers running towards the. Iago chuckled heartily, backing away, not bothering to sidestep the growing pool of crimson.

     “Enjoy talking your way out of this one, princess. Oh, wait; you couldn't talk your way out of a sack without Prince Leo there to do it for you. In that case, enjoy being executed!” The ground beneath the blood glowed brightly, tinging the light red. Iago's form dissipated into smoke. As it wafted away, Sakura began screaming at the top of her lungs she backed away from the grisly scene, her white robes dotted with dark red. Azura tried to comfort her, a large smear on her exposed arm, but it was no use. Nerr backed away as the approaching Hoshidans came near, their shock turning to terror and disgust as they took in the carnage.

     “Yu...kito...” One of them whispered, shaking so badly he dropped the scrolls he was holding. The other unsheathed his blade, pointing it at the group.

     “Which one of you is responsible for this!? Confess, or we'll have you _all_ executed!”

     “It wasn't us!” Jakob shouted, stepping forward, but recoiling as the curved sword lashed at the air directly before his face.

     “DO. NOT. MOVE. NOHRIAN!! Drop your weapons. _All of you!!”_ Tsubaki approached, his hands held palm up.

     “Wait! He's right; this attack wasn't perpetrated by us! We couldn't have even stopped it!” The still trembling mage looked up, his face white as his lips shook.

     “...then explain how this went down when you're the only people here. And what, pray tell, are Hoshidans doing in the company of armed Nohrians...?”

     “They're with me.” Nerr swallowed and moved between Jakob and the point still aimed at his face. The tribalists sneered.

     “Who the fuck are you, anyan?”

     “I assume that means 'Nohrian'...” She muttered under her breath, trying to calm her thudding heart. “ _I_ am Princess Nerrida. Perhaps you know me as a princess of Hoshido?” The hands gripping the sword's hilt tightened, to the point that she could see his knuckles standing out against his skin.

     “I know you as Princess Traitor... You can die first!”

     “Wait!” Azura held up her hand. “Please, you have to listen to us! We aren't traitors, we didn't do anything! Sakura, say something...!” She shook the young girl's shoulders, trying to snap her from her tearful daze. Sakura shook her head, covering her eyes and whimpering piteously. The sword being brandished at them lowered slightly, confusion creeping into the fury the guard displayed.

     “Azura-sama? Sakura-sama...? Wh-what are you two doing here...?”

     “We're only passing through! We didn't do anything! Please, I swear it, it wasn't us...!” The singer's voice grew more hysterical as she pleaded for understanding. The Hoshidan lowered his blade further, turmoil in his eyes and voice as he turned to his partner.

     “What should we do? We don't have the authority to detain royals...”

     “The hell we don't!” In contrast to the swordsman's quiet confusion, the mage seemed to grow more furious by the second. “They _murdered_ Yukito and Shouji! Who's to say she's even saying that of her own volition- they're with Nohrians! They could be... hostages or something; maybe they're even in on it! Maybe they're all in on it, and they're trying to lead the Nohrian army into our village!!”

     “Hey.” Nerr interrupted him sharply. “Listen. I know you're angry and scared and want a scape goat right now, but this 'let's execute the traitors now!' bullshit is only going to end badly for you. Killing Sakura and Azura will only bring the wrath of the rest of the Hoshidan royal family directly on your heads. And since you're convinced I'm in league with the Nohrian army, do you _really_ think killing me would make them do anything but burn your homes to the ground faster?” Although the truth of her threat could not be disputed, the tribalist mage still shook with impotent rage.

     “So do you intend to simply walk away and not answer for your crimes?!”

     “We've committed no crime!” Azura cried indignantly. Nerr nodded.

     “That's true, _but!_ We would like to speak to your chieftain and explain what happened. I daresay matters with high-ranking officials aren't the duty of border guards.” The mage opened his mouth, probably to yell at her, but his partner placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing him back.

     “That's enough.” He muttered to the other man in a sotto voice, raising it as he addressed the group of outsiders. “You will be taken to Reppu castle, where Fuuga-sama will will judge you. Keep your arms at your sides and walk in a straight line; if anyone so much as _reaches_ for something, you will be cut down at once, am I clear?” Lowering her hands to her sides, the Norhian princess put her heels together, standing at attention.

     “Crystal. I look forward to speaking with this Fuuga Sama.” Scoffing loudly, the samurai made his way to the back of the forming line.

     “Who said anything about 'speaking'?”

000

Walking through the Wind Tribe's village felt even more like a march to the death than her first journey to Shirasagi. Despite her best efforts, Nerr couldn't stop her fingers from twitching, desperate to reach for her sword as she was lead along a path that seemed to grow more congested with Hoshidans with every step. They paused in their daily life to stare, whispering behind their hands. The disconnected whispering held notes of fear, surprise, anger, disgust.

It was hardly surprising, in the face of three armed Nohrian soldiers, at least one of whom was covered in a fine mist of blood. She hadn't even noticed it until her face started feeling tight and itchy. The urge to rub away the dried, flaking blood was immense, but she kept her arms down. Sakura was still crying. Azura and Hana tried comforting her, but their escorts were quick to shut them up, resulting in the female samurai lashing out at them. There was a smack and a cry of pain, but Nerr didn't turn her head, despite the fear churning inside her gut. In the distance, pillars of sandstone loomed, topped with windmills that spun quickly as the wind kicked up.

More guards lined the covered pathway that ended in tall doors of polished wood. They swung inward with a loud groan, revealing a great hall of immense proportions. It looked at least as big, if not bigger, than the halls of both Krakenburg and Shirasagi. The high ceiling and windows amplified every sound immensely. Despite being well lit, Nerr could not shake off the feeling of a dungeon. Perhaps because the dungeons in the citadel also had high ceilings she could never truly see the top of, and also perhaps because of the great hulking figure that approached form another door at the far end of the room.

Though not clad in an executioner's hood, there was no doubt in her mind that this man could end a life with ease if he so desired it. Every muscle looked like it had been meticulously carved from a great oak, his biceps each about as large as both her thighs. His barrel chest and wide shoulders were the antithesis of the slightly built Hoshidan men she had seen, but the loose trousers and lacquered faulds were most assuredly belonging to the eastern half of the continent. As he stopped before the group, their escorts (at least, the one she could see) bowed deeply. A curt nod had them stepping away. Sharp hazel eyes looked her up and down, narrowing slightly has he crossed his arms.

     “You may stand at ease. There is no threat to your safety... at least, at the moment.” The barely concealed threat did not escape her, but Nerr was just happy to relax her shoulders a bit.

     “Thank you. I assume you are the chieftain of this tribe?”

     “Indeed. I am Fuuga. And, if I am not mistaken, you are Nerrida. Word of your return did not take long to reach even the furthest corners of Hoshido. Neither did word of your treachery.” The Nohrian princess frowned deeply at his words.

     “If I was plotting to destroy Hoshido, then why am I _in_ Hoshido with no army?” The chieftain lifted his chin, looking down his nose at her. He was trying to intimidate her, but a low effort, condescending gesture like that only served to miff her further.

     “Then, pray tell, why _are_ you here after publicly declaring that you would not be fighting for Hoshido?”

     “If your sources were accurate, they'd have told you that I also declared I wouldn't be fighting for Nohr either. I am in Hoshido with Azura to find Prince Ryouma and speak to him. I desire the destruction of _no_ kingdom. I would have this war ended without further bloodshed.” A tic went off in the man's cheek.

     “And you intend to spread your message of a bloodless revolution by slaughtering _my_ people?” Though his tone remained even, the anger in his voice was tangible. This time, Azura was the one to address his misinformed notion.

     “No! Not at all! Fuuga-sama, I know it seems an outlandish claim, but we were _not_ the ones responsible for that attack. It was a Nohrian mage--”

     “And there are no less than two Nohrians amongst you. That only cements your guilt.”

     “Yes, to an absolute fool, perhaps!” Despite this being the worst time to let her temper flare, Nerr found herself unable to control the volume of her voice. This Fuuga didn't care about finding the real perpetrator; he only wanted an easy scapegoat. _'Just like Takumi...'_ She seethed mentally. “Your guards were ripped apart, with powerful elder magic. A cursory glance would tell you that _we_ are unable to pull off such spells. You need tomes for that; search us! You'll find nothing, not that it matters. Jakob can only use healing magic, I can barely read a spell book, and Gunther has no capacity for magic whatsoever. You don't believe me; bring in one of your mages, they'll tell you!” Fuuga stared at her coldly, but the princess would not falter, knowing full well that she was in the right.

     “...very well. Hayato!” Nerr expected to see another guard enter form the same door as the chieftain, but instead, a young boy, Sakura's age perhaps, slinked out from one of the pillars. He dragged his feet for a few steps, then, upon noticing the spectators, straightened his back and marched over in a way that would've looked very professional, had it not been for his knobby knees visibly shaking. “You heard everything this woman has claimed, Hayato, did you not?” The boy flushed slightly, his eyes darting away.

     “W-well, yes, but-- it wasn't like I was eavesdropping or anything! I just needed to stay close by, in case the traitor tried anything funny.” Despite the dire straits, Nerr could not help but pull a face. The decider of their innocence was to be a small child? The older man took notice, grinning in a satisfied way.

     “Do not let his age fool you. Hayato is the most skilled mage in all Kazeho. He'll know how magically adept you are.”

     “Yeah, I'll probably figure out the exact spell you used, too. Maybe we can use it on _you_ , you murderer--”

     “Wait!” All heads turned to see a tawny woman running towards them. Her curved shoes squeaked on the polished stone floor as she skidded to a stop.

     “Rinkah-sama?” Suzukaze questioned. “What are you doing here?” Straightening, the Flame tribalist addressed the ninja directly.

     “This is a diplomatic errand for my father. All of Hoshido has been thrown into a tizzy because of _this one_.” She jutted her finger at Nerr. “And you'd better be damned grateful I'm here. Fuuga-sama, if there was an attack on your people, it _wasn't_ done by Princess Nerrida.” Hazel and crimson eyes widened in tandem.

     “ _What?”_

     “You believe me? Why?”

     “Yes, why indeed?” Fuuga's shock was gone at once, skepticism once more in it's place. “The Flame Tribe is notoriously wary of outsiders, and yet their heiress now defends this dangerous woman. Why?” Rinkah looked up at him, scowling.

     “Just because we avoid contact with outsiders doesn't mean we would falsely accuse them of crimes they didn't commit. And to answer your question... it's because I owe her a debt. I was captured at the border, and _she_ was to be my executioner. Though she bested me in battle- or rather, had her nursemaid do it for her- she did not take my life. She stood against King Garon to _save_ it. She helped Kaze and I escape. Those are not the actions of a bloodthirsty monster who kills innocent people unprovoked!” Nerr blinked, taken aback by that... fiery outburst.

     “...I'm surprised you think so highly of me.”

     “I only speak the truth. My opinion has no impact on that. And neither does _yours_.” She told the Chieftain firmly. “Regardless of what you may feel towards Nohr and its people, only a barbarian calls for murder rather than justice.” There was silence from him, a silence which was quickly filled by the indignant sputtering of the boy beside him.

     “Wh-what-- Just who do you think you are, speaking to Fuuga-sama in such a disrespectful manner!?”

     “Someone who doesn't need to answer to _you_ , small fry. Beat it; grown-ups are talking.” The color rose in his face in splotchy patches as he fumed.

     “Gih!! I am _not_ a child, you-- you brutish--!” A large hand on his shoulder silenced him (probably due to the force of even that gentle clap causing him to stumble a bit).

     “That is enough, Hayato. I appreciate your indignation on my behalf, but you must learn to hold your tongue when speaking to foreign emissaries.” He looked back at Rinkah, his lips quirked in a slight smirk. “I admit, I am impressed. To see a member of the Flame Tribe vouch so strongly for an outsider... Very well! Then the traitors shall prove their worth in the only way that matters.” Nerr felt her stomach drop.

     “And which way is that...?”

     “Fight me.” He cracked his knuckles, his smile growing as a burgeoning blood lust glimmered in his eyes. “We shall do battle, fair and square. Show me the strength of your character! Defeat me with your own strength, without tricks or cowards'-- ghh!” It took a moment, but Fuuga finally noticed the blade leveled at his throat. Not that of a sword, but rather a lance.

     “I daresay you've been defeated, unless you'd prefer a fight to the death? In which case, this will be over quickly.” Gunther's voice was collected, but the lines around his mouth were etched with anger.

     “Gunther, what are you--”

     “That's cheating!!”

     “A man being too caught up in his own foolish rhetoric to notice what's right in front of his face is hardly cheating. And I don't need tricks to drive this thing through a man's skull.” The chieftain gritted his teeth slightly.

     “This is not what I had in mind...”

     “Isn't it, though? Our defeating you is what it would've taken for you to believe our innocence by your own admission. Not evidence, not witnesses, but brute force.” The knight withdrew his lance, slamming it down with more force than was necessary. “I know another man who firmly believes that 'might makes right'...” Although Nerr's heart was fit to burst out of her chest, the realization that dawned on her left her more angry than afraid. Frowning at the chieftain, she crossed her arms over her chest.

     “Truer words are rarely spoken. I could kill you now, but that wouldn't mean I'm innocent; it would just mean I'm exceptionally skilled at killing things, which I am. If you wish for a duel that will leave your people without a leader, save it for King Garon. I offer you diplomacy like a civilized human; whether or not you accept it is up to you.” Fuuga's eyes were like chips of amber as he glared down at her, but she did not waver. Seconds dragged on seemingly forever, but after a long, uneasy silence, the older man closed his eyes, chuckling humorlessly.

     “How right Sumeragi was about you... If he could see the determination in your eyes, he would be proud...” Those words threw her for a loop, an uncomfortable bubble forming in her lungs.

     “What? You... you know m-- Emperor Sumeragi?”

     “I should hope so; we were brothers in all but birth. Even as a child, he knew you were willful and defiant. Traits better suited for a commander than a court lady.” He turned away from her, heading back towards the doors through which he had entered. “Come. We will sit, and you will explain everything. Whether or not I believe you is another matter entirely.”

000

Warm breezes circulated through the large guest hall, and though it was hardly a show of decorum, Nerr could not help her gaze wandering about. Aside from the vast, open architecture, so unlike both other castles she had seen, the sight of the mountains and dunes outside captured her attention. It was similar to the landscape surrounding the Citadel, only brighter and far more terrifying, given the sandstorm that seemed to be raging perpetually. She jumped at the sound of a throat clearing loudly, and turned her attention back to Fuuga, who sat across the low table from her her. Both Rinkah and his child mage sat beside him, the boy attempting to bore holes in her head with his stare by the look of it. Nerr paid him no mind.

     “Where would you have me start, Chief Fuuga?”

     “The beginning would be the obvious starting point, I would think.”

     “We would be here all day if I start from 'The Beginning'.”

     “Then, why have you come to Kazeho? Izumo can be reached by going around. Indeed, most people prefer to go that way as they run less risk of stumbling upon the Kitsune's hamlet.” _'The what...?'_ She wanted to ask, but bit her tongue.

     “I was told this way is more prudent, and contains things like supplies... and information. Were I in the company of a well-stocked battalion, perhaps going the long way around would have been wiser, but as you can see, this barely constitutes a squad. I had no intention of returning to Hoshido, and when I did, I had no intention of journeying beyond the capital.” Taking a moment to digest her words, the older man seemed to find her reasoning acceptable and nodded.

     “Very well; I can accept the fact that it is unlikely you came here with the intention of wrecking the kind of destruction Shirasagi faced. In that case, if you had no part to play in the deaths of my men, _how did they die?_ ”

     “They were killed by King Garon's advisor, a Nohrian mage; the same Nohrian mage who attempted to send me to my own death under false pretenses. Believe me...” Her hands balled into fists of their own accord. “If I could have killed him to spare your people their lives, I would have done so without hesitation. No one should have to die as they did, especially for no reason other than to cause trouble for someone else.” Fuuga's expression had grown darker and darker as she spoke, his jaw tightening. Hayato looked over to the older man, his own expression lacking the facade of arrogance it formerly held.

     “Fuuga-sama... D-do you believe that?”

     “I have witnesses.” Nerr reminded them, gesturing to the people sitting behind her in an unnatural silence. Sakura was huddled in a tight ball, her knees drawn to her chest as she rocked slightly, eyes wide.

     “He wrung them out like a towel...” She whispered, her voice cracking. “P-p-p-people shouldn't be able to do that...”

     “Nohr _is_ home to powerful mages. I faced the ones here in battle and none of these Nohrians use magic, at least not in a combative sense.” Rinkah said quietly. “Why would they engage their foes at close range if they could just sit back and pick them off with spells like cowards?”

     “Hey!” The boy glared at her, but she ignored his ire. Closing his eyes, the chieftain sat back. His brows were drawn together, and Nerr could see his eyes racing behind their closed lids. She could only imagine what was going through his mind, and the possibilities made her stomach churn. Finally, after a long moment filled only with the faint howling of the wind outside, Fuuga looked at her again.

     “It would appear that we have a common enemy in the Nohrians, young princess. As much as I wish it could be easy to claim justice for the fallen, I fear their rest will be uneasy for a while yet.”

     “If I ever get my hands on Iago's scrawny neck, which I fully intend to, rest assured they'll have their justice.” He smiled a bit, though it did not reach his eyes.

     “I appreciate the sentiment, Nerrida-sama, but remember that there is a fine line between justice and vengeance. Indeed, it is a line even I have trouble distinguishing at times. The blade at your hip is better suited in service of the former rather than the latter.” Unwittingly, Nerr looked down at the battered sword, laying at an innocuous angle.

     “You recognize it at a glance? I'm impressed.” He laughed slightly, a bit more mirth in his voice.

     “Do not be. Sumeragi spoke to me at great length regarding the myths and history of the world. In truth, I think it was his way of bragging that he had been chosen by the Raijinto. Not that it mattered; I could easily best him with a shinai.” Nerr frowned a bit, the mention of myths reminding her of Yukimura's words, about “blah blah blah, destined to bring peace to the world”. She ground her teeth together, forcing herself to calm down before speaking.

     “Well, other holy weapons don't seem to mind what they're used for, so I'm certain a bit of revenge won't cause _too_ many problems.” At once, the Hoshidan man's face grew serious, his words weighing her down with their gravitas.

     “I fear you underestimate the power you wield, so listen carefully. The Yatogami is said to be the key to unlocking the Seal of Flames.”

     “The what of what?”

     “A weapon, capable of immense power... and destruction. Forged by the gods to _kill_ the gods.” The way he spoke, that overly dramatic manner that made it seem as though he were reading a story book to child, made her want to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but before she could even consider it, Azura interrupted her, nearly pushing her aside in her haste to approach the chieftain.

     “The power to kill gods...!?” She asked, breathless, her eyes wide in awe. “So.... there _is_ a way. They're _not_ unstoppable...” To the surprise of both women, Fuuga laughed at the singer's words.

     “Dear child, time itself has seen to _that_. The gods of old are naught but spirits. Perhaps they commune with those of exceptionally potent blood, but even their bloodline has grown weak. The days of fearing dragons is long at an end- it is man who now threatens to destroy everything. Which is why I pray, Nerrida-sama, that you use the power you wield for the greater good.” Chewing on her lip, Nerr leaned back, her mind trying to categorize the new information she had been given into 'useful' and 'hokum'. It would take longer than she had the patience for at the moment.

     “I'll consider it.” She wryly joked. “In the meantime, we'd best continue our trek to Izumo. With any hope, Ryouma is still in the vicinity, and we'll be able to convince him to do the same.”

     “Your determination is commendable, but perhaps it would be prudent to put your journey off until tomorrow. Our tribe will provide aid for your trip, and you can rest within our borders.”

     “Truly?” Azura sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Thank you, Fuuga-sama. We appreciate your kindness.” Getting to his feet, the Hoshidan laughed heartily.

     “Do not fool yourself into thinking my reasons are purely altruistic. Sumeragi would haunt me until my dying day if I turned away his children so callously. I have no desire to see that scowling mug of his until I too have passed on. Remain here; I will have accommodations made for you.” Nerr waited for him to leave the room, before throwing herself back onto the ground, stretching out.

     “Ugh, that was more uncomfortable than I expected it to be. I never thought I'd feel guilty for something I didn't do... I honestly think I would have preferred trial by combat to that.” Azura leaned over her, her long hair forming a sort of curtain around them as she whispered.

     “Combat may have only spurred further aggression. This was the best possible outcome, Nerr; Fuuga-sama believed us _and_ we found a possible way of dealing with... _him_. We have a glimmer of hope now.” A single glimmer amongst the overwhelming darkness of being crushed on both sides... Nerr kept her thoughts to herself, nodding although she hardly felt as hopeful as the singer looked.

     “I'm just grateful we have another person who acknowledges that we aren't trying to raze Hoshido. If everyone just realized how little I care, I'd be happy-- gih!!” The Nohrian princess had sat up, or at least tried to, her head nearly smashing into the blue shorts covered hip of the tribe's mage. With his hands on his hips as he glared down at her, Hayato looked so like Elise it was uncanny. “What's _your_ damage??” She scooted away this time before sitting fully. The boy frowned in a way that looked too much like pouting to take seriously.

     “You're lying.”

     “Say what now?”

     “Do you really need a definition? You aren't telling the truth.”

     “How can you say that?!” Azura gasped, affronted. “We have _no_ reason to attack your people--”

     “I know that.” Hayato brushed her off, keeping his attention on Nerr. “Fuuga-sama believes that you're innocent, and my faith in him is absolute. But you're still a liar. You said none of you Nohrians can use magic.” The draconic girl scoffed.

     “Because we can't?”

     “ _You_ can use magic. Maybe you're too stupid to figure out how to read spells, but you _do_ have magic, and you _can_ use it. It may not be as strong as mine,” The self satisfied way he smirked was infuriating. “But little is. But the fact remains that there _is_ magic in your blood.”

     “Well, that's news to me, but as you yourself just said, any magical ability I have is weak. Too weak to attack a group of people, much less kill them.” The boy frowned at her logic, stalking past her to encroach upon Jakob's personal space this time. The butler looked personally offended at having to endure another human in his general vicinity, though it didn't last long.

     “Eh, this one's just a healer... and not a very good one at that.”

     “ _Excuse me!?”_ The younger boy barely noticed the outrage he had caused (or the hand going for a dagger) as he moved to his final target. Gunther looked neither upset or offended, simply meeting the boy's gaze as he apparently waited for an assessment. The child turned back towards Nerr, his frown even more pronounced.

     “You said this one can't use magic at all?”

     “Obviously.”

     “Well, you're lying about that too.” The princess couldn't help the sharp laughter that wrenched itself from her throat from the sheer absurdity of it all.

     “Gunther? Capable of magic? _Bullshit.”_

     “He is!”

     “Your senses are off, little boy.” She looked at her retainer, waiting for him to reaffirm her claims. The knight gave a half shrug.

     “Who do you think taught Jakob how to heal, my lady?”

     “Not _you!_ You can't-- you always told me you couldn't--”

     “Because I would have been worthless as a teacher to you, Lady Nerr. It seemed more prudent at the time to simply feign ignorance rather than disappoint you.” Despite it being a show of poor decorum, Nerr turned away in a huff, her jaw tight.

     “My life is a lie...” She sulked. Azura lightly (and very awkwardly) patted her wrist.

     “Not to sound cruel, but you should be used to that by now, Nerr. Everything King Garon told you was a lie...”

     “That doesn't count.” She seethed, wishing she wasn't as upset as she was. “I _expect_ to be disappointed by him. I always have. Not my retainers.” _'Not Gunther...'_ “They're the ones I trust. What _else_ is a lie? What if I'm _not_ allergic to prawns!?” Azura didn't speak for a while, probably trying to think of a way out of this strange, unpleasant conversation. It came as a surprise when she whispered.

     “If it makes you feel any better, you probably _are_ allergic to prawns.”

     “...how and why would you know that?” Stretching her legs out, the singer looked out of the window.

     “Empress Mikoto was allergic them. She said they made her break out in hives.” Nerr remained silent. That didn't make her feel better, at least not entirely. Maybe she hadn't been lied to in that regard, but finding out... anything about the late empress left her with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, did you actually think I was going to shoehorn worthless F-tier characters like Rinkah and Hayato into this story? If there weren't certain story beats I had to hit for this to be a Fates rewrite, there would be four characters- Nerr, Gunther, Jakob and Azura. That's it. This whole story would just be them traveling, Stand By Me-style, with Anankos as the dead body. So, as much as I like Fuuga as a character, I always hate the chapters where he appears because I loathe his whole shonen trope of “I will judge your character by the way you try to kill me in battle!” Like... no. I'm going to murder you- what does that have to do with me being innocent? I'm not going to be gracious about it either- I'm gonna abuse ALL the game mechanics. I will pocket-sand your ass to oblivion and kick you in the nuts; that doesn't mean I'm guilty of shit (except not wanting to die in unnecesary combat). I know it defeats the purpose of a game where the only gameplay comes from battle, but I really wish just once that Fire Emblem characters could actually settle their problems with their words instead of starting ALL of the wars. Like, give me a Fire Emblem game that, instead of having Zelda-esque dungeon crawling (Echoes), has sections where you prove your innocence to characters like Fuuga with evidence and critical thinking. What's the point of having royalty as main characters if all they do is act like drunk assholes in a bar fight?!


	7. Fate Approaching Quickly

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Ch.7- “Fate Approaching Quickly”

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Fed, rested and outfitted a bit better, the small group of... soldiers... went on their way with renewed spirits. Rinkah assured them that if her father deigned to give to the Hoshidan army aide, it would not hamper them. Nerr thanked her sincerely, and Fuuga as well has he assure them they'd face no more trials in the Wind Tribe's land. The road to Izumo was still long, but given that they were traveling between two neutral nations, the only thing they would have to worry about were wild animals. And Iago, Nerr mused bitterly as they set off. Whatever spell he had used to kill the Wind tribalists, he could easily use it against them.

In fact, the more she thought on it, the more it unsettled her. Every night they made camp, her mind wandered back to the sight of those guards contorting and ripping apart. He could've just attacked her- she wouldn't have been able to fight back against magic, especially not powerful elder magic. He could've killed her and called it a day. ….so why didn't he? It wasn't as though he had any reason to keep her alive, not when he had been working with Garon to kill her from the start. Maybe he just wanted her to live in fear, to know what he was capable of, to know that it could happen to her at any moment when she least expected it... Sitting up, the princess slumped over, groaning.

Her eyes burned from tiredness, and her stomach felt like a stormy sea. Everyone else seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Did they not feel the same fear she did; did they think that once they could no longer see a threat, it could no longer hurt them? Climbing to her feet, Nerr wandered away from the camp, dragging her feet across the dry, rough grass. How she missed the smooth tile and soft rugs of the Citadel. All this nature felt unnatural. There was a faint whiff of water in the air. Not rain, she noted, looking up. Despite the clouds being a sickly orange and purple mix, they were still fluffy and scattered liberally across the sky. Nowhere near the dark mass that lead to rain. Continuing to walk, the scent growing stronger as the sound of burbling met her ears.

Stepping through a coppice, Nerr took in the sight of the river, inhaling deeply, as though the clean air would flush out all the fear and concerns that clung to her insides. The slightest whiff of putrefaction, barely noticeable, drew her attention further downstream, where a large figure knelt at the bank. Trying to pull herself free of the short, grasping branches with minimal noise, the Nohrian girl approached. Her retainer seemed too caught up splashing water on his face to notice her; Nerr could see a pile of bandages and an open vulnerary on the grass beside him. She stopped about a foot away, the knight pausing as well. He did not turn to face her as she expected him to, instead leaning back, his wet hands resting on his thighs.

     “Lady Nerr. Did you need something?”

     “No.” She stated simply, closing the distance and taking a seat beside him. It didn't go unnoticed the way he turned his face further from her. “How's your face?” She asked quietly, wondering after the fact if she couldn't have worded that better (not that she actually had any idea how).

     “It's healing.” Gunther's clipped tone made her stomach drop to her feet, but she wouldn't let her disquiet be known.

     “Can I see?” She reached out, only to have a larger hand cover her own and gently push it away.

     “I think it best you don't, my lady. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable.”

     “Nonsense.” She frowned, freeing her hand and putting it on the older man's chin, trying to avoid the injured side as much as she could while she turned him to look at her. “Nothing about you could ever make me un--- ...comfortable...” Her hand fell away weakly. There was no more loose hanging skin, no more insects- even most of the gaping hole had filled in... but the sight of those jagged scars and raw meat made her heart tighten. The thin, clean line that once split his face was barely noticeable amongst the rough sections of flesh still held together by dark thread. No longer being forced to look at her, Gunther turned away once more.

     “I am sorry, my lady. You've enough to be distressed over without me adding to that load.” Nerr shook her head silently, wishing she could think of something warm and comforting to say. The only words that came to mind were the onces she herself was tired of hearing.

     “...no. _I'm_ sorry. I am _so_ sorry, Gunther. This is my fault. If I hadn't slowed us down...” A warm, still slightly wet hand covered her own.

     “Then Hans would have attacked us when we reached solid ground. Did you yourself not say he claimed to be acting on Garon's orders?” Wordlessly, she nodded. “Then what makes you think you could have prevented anything?”

     “Because I could have!” Nerr surprised herself with the anger in her voice. She didn't know why she was yelling- she didn't want to (gods knew how stupid she was being, alerting everyone to her position) but once she started, it was as though a fuse had been lit. “I could have prevented so much, Gunther! If I had just killed Rinkah and Kaze, I'd never have been taken to Hoshido. If I hadn't stopped on that bridge, you wouldn't have been knocked through it. If I had just run a little faster, I wouldn't have been in Shirasagi when...” Misery folded into her anger, tempering it but making her feel even worse. “All of this is my fault, Gunther.” Two calloused fingers gripped her chin lightly, lifting her gaze. The half of the older man's face that could still emote freely regarded her with something akin to pity.

     “You must not be too hard on yourself, my little ladyship. Perhaps these things happened for a reason.”

     “No.” She fumed, pulling out of his grasp and regretting it immediately. “Nothing happens for 'a reason'. There's no _reason_ for all this senseless death and destruction; I refuse to believe that. This is just... fucking random chaos.” The air grew silent, save for the burbling of water flowing over stone and the occasional insect.

     “...you may not believe in fate, Lady Nerr, but it certainly seems to believe in you.” She scoffed quietly, shaking her head.

     “Spare me such contrivances, Gunther. Surely you don't believe in ' _fate_ '?” She sneered the word like it personally offended her. It did. The very notion that every horrible thing that had happened to her, that had happened to every person, was preordained by some higher power, made her ill. “Do you truly think some god hated you enough to orchestrate every event in your life so that you could wind up in that hellhole? So that-- that _that_ could happen to you, whatever the hell that _was?_ ” She gestured to his face, immediately feeling guilty for bringing it up, but the knight simply chuckled under his breath.

     “Perhaps that's why they saw fit to make me twice as handsome as an average man- that way, this evens out.” His expression grew pensive as he turned his attention back to the river. “I can't say I believe that everything in the world is scripted. I blame the cruelty of men on those men alone. But I like to think that certain things were meant to be.”

     “Such as?” The skepticism dripped from her voice. She could see the corners of his lips turning up into a slight smile.

     “Coming into your service, my lady.” At once, the heat rose in her cheeks, and she dug her nails into her palms to try and calm the flurry of emotions within her.

     “Flattery will get you nowhere, Gunther.” Nerr hoped she sounded more nonchalant than she felt.

     “I shall keep that in mind should I ever attempt to lavish you with flattery for the sake of garnering favor.” She smiled, but it slowly slipped from her face.

     “So... you can actually use magic?” The knight reached out to her, then hesitated, his hand hovering over hers.

     “May I?” He asked quietly. Without waiting for her response, he took hold of her hand. Nerr's heart thudded in her chest, feeling the rough skin and callouses under her fingers. From the points where his fingers touched her palm, she could feel a slight tingle, an itching in her muscles and tendons. As soon as she started getting used to the uncomfortable sensation, the feeling stopped, and she found her hand suspended in midair.

     “That's the extent of my magical ability.” Gunther said, his tone even though there was a hint of something sheepish in his voice. “I could maybe heal a sprain with a powerful enough staff, but I would never be able to competently teach you anything that could benefit you on the battlefield. Rather than disappoint you, it just seemed... easier to omit that fact.” Nerr flexed her fingers, her wrist and knuckles feeling warmer. She smiled a little.

     “I suppose that's fine. I much prefer using a sword, anyway. I don't think I could live with the shame of Leo constantly lording his superiority over me... well... more than he already does.” Feeling that the niggling doubt in the back of her mind had been lifted, the princess got to her feet, rolling her aching shoulders. “We'll probably have to head out in a few hours. We should try to at least get a few minutes of sleep.”

     “Go ahead, Lady Nerr. I need to redo these bandages.”

     “Wouldn't it be better to leave it uncovered now that's it's mostly healed? I remember Xander saying something about letting injuries breathe, or...?”

     “I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable--” Nerr placed her hands on his shoulders, purposefully looking deep into his face.

     “If anyone has anything to say about it, they can say it to me. Now come; you're the one who's supposed to be alert while I'm still half asleep.” She gripped the older man's wrists and pulled him to his feet with little resistance. She turned away and began heading back toward the camp, expecting him to follow but not willing to look. She could practically feel her face glowing and would rather no one else witness her embarrassment.

000

The final day in their journey to Izumo was uneventful, though not the languid stroll one might have been hoping for. As they came upon the base of a large mountain, the idyllic landscape was juxtaposed against an unexpected chaos. Large patches of grass were scorched, others ripped out in huge clods. Scraps of cloth clung to broken branches, and in the underbrush, broken chunks of distinctly Hoshidan armor lay covered by leaves. Sakura recoiled from the sight in horror as her retainer flipped a pauldron over with the tip of his lance, revealing what appeared to be a slice of human skin crawling with maggots beneath it.

     “You don't think this is where they went missing, do you?” Nerr asked Azura, sotto voice. The songstress was chewing her lip so violently blood was beginning to dot the pink flesh.

     “I-- I don't know. I want to say 'no', but... this is where the Kitsune hamlet is. Even if they didn't run afoul of Nohr, the Kitsune are savage beasts, well known for slaughtering humans indiscriminately... Oh gods, I don't want that to be the case.” She turned away, hand pressed to her mouth as though she were fighting the urge to vomit. Nerr had no idea what “Kit-soon-aye” were, but the fear in the other princess' voice put her in the mind of some hulking monster akin to the Faceless. Kaze approached the pair, maintaining a respectful distance.

     “Azura-sama, forgive me for eavesdropping, but I sincerely doubt Ryouma-sama was caught unaware by Kitsune. Surely, if his soldiers had been accosted by them, my brother would have mentioned it. It seems far more likely that there may have been a battle here- between humans- and any dead or injured had been dragged off by scavengers.”

     “He's right.” Nerr tried to sound more confident than she really was. “They probably just crawled away in the aftermath of the battle and went to Izumo while One-eye freaked out and went back to the capital. It's not like he's dead or anything.” Behind her, Sakura let out a short, plaintive wail, with her retainers immediately rushing to try and comfort her.

     “Don't worry, Sakura; she said he's _not_ dead!” Hana said with a series of rather rough pats on the back.

They began their march again, the youngest princess still sniveling at the tail end of the group. In truth, Nerr wasn't at all confident that Hoshido's crown prince was still alive. While Iago didn't have anything to do with his apparent disappearance- she was positive there would be a highly visible monument otherwise- there was nothing stopping anyone else from offing him. While the samurai appeared to be a capable fighter, it was so, so easy to die, she had come to realize. Whatever monster had launched the attack in Shirasagi managed to best him; perhaps even _it_ had come back to finish the job. Shaking her head, Nerr tried to clear her mind of such thoughts. Not because they were unlikely; only because they served no purpose. If Ryouma was alive, then all her time wasted worrying would be for naught. And if he was dead, then he was dead and they would have to go to Nohr a little earlier than scheduled. It was simple, really, and she kept telling herself that until the sky grew darker.

With the tops of the trees aglow, the gleaming white parapets of the palace in the distance stood out even more. The curved roofs were similar to the castle in Shirasagi, but didn't seem as outlandishly hideous as the royal palace. Perhaps because it was smaller, but also because everything about the duchy seemed unnaturally calming. From the high walls that served as it's border to the large boulders that dotted the land leading up to it to the spacing of the trees, every part of Izumo seemed to be carefully crafted to appeal to the eyes, even Nerr's eyes which usually held Hoshido's architecture in low esteem. The very air itself felt tranquil, and the Nohrian princess found herself smiling a bit despite herself as she inhaled deeply.

     “So this is Izumo? Gods help me, there's actually a place in this miserable hell-kingdom I don't hate.”

     “That's not surprising.” Although her face still looked wan, Azura's expression seemed lighter. “Izumo is known as 'the land blessed by the gods'. They've been neutral since the Ancient Ones themselves warred. Hopefully Izana-sama isn't busy; he often hosts daimyos from other prefectures.” She approached the gates with a surprisingly confident stride, so much so that Nerr grabbed the long white skirt, halting the singer.

     “What are you doing? Surely you don't intend to simply waltz up to the castle and barge in.”

     “That's precisely what I intend to do, Nerr. Izana-sama has a very... lax view of politics.” A strangely wistful look came into her eyes. “Mikoto-sama brought me here once years ago. I was just as surprised as you when she just walked into the castle- I thought she'd set a meeting up earlier, but no. Izana is a very... unique man.”

     “Well, since you're the expert here, I'll defer to your wisdom.”

Despite the tranquil atmosphere, Nerr could not help but be a bit on edge as they walked into the city. Given what happened the last time she had been in a Hoshidan city (and the time before that), she fully expected to be met with armed guards, but no one approached their small group. Stalls selling goods, people milling about on street corners talking, children laughing and playing- none of it stopped as they followed Azura towards the stately mansion seated on the hill in the middle of the town. No one recoiled in fear at the sight of armed Nohrians. The only looks were curious; no loathing, no anger. It felt almost like being back in Windmire. They had only just approached the lush garden leading up to the castle when a pale, waifish figure waved them down.

     “Yoo hoo!! Oh, visitors~!” Nerr tensed, expecting to be accosted at any moment, but the wide smile that stretched over Azura's face as she dashed over to the tree line did not mesh with an impending attack.

     “Izana-sama!” The man reached out and embraced the singer tightly.

     “Oh me, oh my, look at you! Would you look at you?! It's like the gods knew I needed an extra dose of beauty in my day and sent an angel to answer my prayers! How have you been, my darling? Oh?” He looked over Azura's shoulder, though given the way he squinted, it was hard to tell if his eyes were even open. “What's this? You brought friends?” Disentangling herself from the baggy sleeves, the blunette turned around.

     “In a manner of speaking. This is my sister Sakura and her sister, Nerrida, as well as their retainers.” The youngest girl flinched at being addressed so suddenly, and bowed lowly.

     “I-it's a pleasure to f-finally meet you, Izana-sama...” The daimyo, as Azura had called him, let out a comically loud gasp, dashing over and taking the princess' face in his hands.

     “Oh. My. _Gods!!_ You are absolutely precious!! Shame on the royal family, hiding you away from me for so long!” Nerr pulled a face, taking a step back and whispering to Jakob behind her hand.

 _“This_ is what's meant to pass as a political leader in Hoshido?” The distaste was evident on the butler's face.

     “I wouldn't trust this fool to run a greenhouse, much less a duchy.” As though he could hear the barb at his expense, Izana turned towards the Nohrians, his smile somehow growing even wider.

     “The rumors were true. Hoshido's long lost daughter has returned at last.” He made his way over to her, gliding across the ground with an ease of movement she would never be able to replicate. Bowing lowly, the daimyo took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. And wrist. He made it half way up her arm before Nerr pulled away from him, her retainers quickly moving to stand between her and the eccentric Hoshidan lord. He barely seemed to notice the glares leveled at him, laughing airily. “Oh, do forgive me, Lady Nerr; I was so dazzled by your beauty, I lost sight of my manners for a moment! Settle down, boys; you don't need to worry about little old me stealing away your liege~” The Nohrian woman laughed awkwardly, trying and failing to mask her unease.

     “It's fine, I'm sure.” He beamed at her, before turning his attention back to Azura.

     “Now then, my dearest dear, pray tell why you've deigned to come 'round my neck of the woods. Surely you didn't come for one of my candlelight suppers? Especially not dressed like _that.”_ The singer's expression turned grim.

     “Unfortunately no, Izana-sama. I fear this is no social call.” The pale man frowned, though it looked more like a pout on his youthful face.

     “Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. Why don't you come 'round back; we don't need the whole town poking their noses into your business. Besides, the chrysanthemums are in bloom and it's a sight to _die for;_ if you're going to be grim, you might as well look at something pretty while you do it.” Izana sauntered past the tree line, and Azura followed him without a second thought, the other Hoshidans quickly trailing behind them. Nerr stayed where she was, her jaw tight as she watched them.

     “Lady Nerr?” Jakob broke her train of thought his brows creased in concern. “Is everything alright?” Blinking hard, the princess forced a strained grin.

     “Yes, of course. I suppose I'm just a bit on edge around overly friendly Hoshidans. The last time I encountered someone who greeted me so warmly in this country, they held me captive for a week. Let's go; it wouldn't do to keep our host waiting.”

000

Indeed, the garden behind the castle was overflowing with blooms, so much so that Nerr had to ask three people for confirmation that it was, in fact, mid October. Nothing in Nohr would be blooming now, of that she was certain. The fields were nearly fallow, potatoes and onions being the last crops to be harvested before the blizzards came in, and the trees were losing their last remaining leaves. Yet here, the mild air was hung heavy with the perfume of large, fleshy white and yellow flowers. The smell was so strong, it was almost nauseating. She quickly sat on one of the many low stone benches, her head spinning as she tried to breathe through her mouth. She could _taste_ the flowers, and they were ghastly. Fortunately, Azura seemed unaffected by the overpowering odor, sitting close to the daimyo.

     “We have reason to believe that my brothers went missing somewhere in this vicinity, and we were wondering if you had any information as to their whereabouts.” Izana frowned deeply, an expression that didn't fit his otherwise angelic countenance.

     “The princes are missing? That's news to me, and not any kind of good news. I can't imagine any reason they'd go missing from here; around Mokushuu maybe, but Izumo?”

     “You've heard of nothing happening in the area?” Nerr asked doubtfully. “No skirmishes, or...?” The Hoshidan man laughed with a flippant wave of his hand.

     “Not likely. All of Hoshido knows we don't take kindly to that whole 'violence' thing in these parts. If there had been any fighting going down around here, I'd be the first to know and the first to tell them to take it elsewhere.” Sakura shook her head, looking distraught.

     “B-but..! There was--!!”Azura silenced her, resting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

     “You're absolutely certain nothing happened around here lately. Not, say, east of here?” He made a noise like an agitated cat as he pouted at the songstress.

     “It seems like you know something I don't. I don't pay too much attention to happenings outside of Izumo. If you think the princelings vanished out near the boonies, it's probably because they avoided us all together. Maybe you'd be better suited asking some of the outlier villages.”

     “Perhaps we would.” Nerr got to her feet, swooning slightly as her head spun. “We apologize for wasting your time, Lord Izana.”

     “W-wait!” The duke was on his feet at once. “I didn't mean just skip out and leave! You're already here, and it's late. I've already got a feast prepared- nothing special, just standard Tuesday night fare. You should come in!”

     “I'm afraid we don't have time for such luxuries.”

     “Nonsense! That's why you have to _make_ time! I so rarely get Nohrian guests; it would be my honor to host you. You know you want to...” He crooned enticingly, taking hold of Nerr's hand. He'd barely had a chance to close his fingers around hers when a metal-plated fist smashed into his face, sending the slightly built man sprawling to the ground. The Hoshidans cried out, appalled. The Nohrian princess herself was too stunned to speak as her retainer moved to stand in front of her. She couldn't see Gunther's face, but she didn't need to to hear the fury in his voice.

     “Touch my lady again, and you'll pull back a stump.”

     “Sir Gunther, have you lost your damn mind!?” Azura looked absolutely furious. “What are you thinking, striking a Hoshidan noble!?”

     “There is nothing noble, nor Hoshidan, about this impostor.”

     “What?” On the ground, Izana moaned, trying to roll onto his side as blood streamed from his quickly swelling nose. “ 'Impostor'? I knew Nohrians were a leery bunch, but I didn't think they resorted to violence so quickly! And to think, I had a feast ready for you and everything! I know who's not getting any desert-- eep!” The daimyo was quickly silenced by the point of a lance aimed at his throat.

     “Don't play coy with me, little man- I will gut you like a fish. You may be able to fool these Hoshidans, but I can smell you from a mile away.”

     “You're crazy. He's crazy! Princess Nerr, _please_ call your guard dog off!”

     “Gunther, that's enough.” She stepped around the knight, pushing his lance away. Stooping down, she offered the fallen man her hand, pulling him to his feet.

     “Phew. I was worried for a second there. I thought tha-- ggghh!” The daimyo's relieved banter was cut short as Nerr's free hand went around his throat.

     “Who are you?” She hissed. The sight of the fear in his eyes only made her more upset.

     “I-I'm Izana! Keeper of the prophecies! Winner of Izumo's best hair six-- gah, I can't breathe!”

     “ _No_ Hoshidan calls me 'Nerr'. Who. Are. You??” Almost at once, the panicked expression turned to sullen disappointment. There was a flash of light that blinded her, causing her to relinquish her grip in order to cover her eyes. When she could finally open them again, the stately figure of Izana was gone, a scrawny, ashen, bug-eyed man doubled over and rubbing his neck in the daimyo's place. He scowled up at Gunther.

     “You just _had_ to go and run your mouth, you worthless old codger. I had these stupid savages eating out of the palm of my hand!” Azura recoiled, horror etched into her face.

     “Wh-what.... who is that!?”

     “Yes, who _is_ that, Gunther?” Nerr parroted the singer's question, though she was more disgusted than afraid. Behind the veneer of beauty put up by some spell, those thin, chapped lips had been running all over her arm. Even though she wore long sleeves and gloves, it still made her feel dirty. The mage (his robes shabby mauve rags compared to the high quality silk he had projected) gaped at her, looking like a fish that had flopped onto land.

     “What do you mean 'who is that'?! You know who I am! I'm Zola!”

     “Who now?”

     “I was at the fete two years ago!” The princess waved him off.

     “I had the misfortune of seeing _lots_ of creepy, ugly nobodies at the fete; you'll have to be more specific.”

     “I was the main performer! You _watched_ me! You were at the front of the room; I saw you applauding!!” She shrugged.

     “Sorry; I guess you don't leave an impression.”

     “He wouldn't.” Gunther intoned, ignoring the fuming mage. “This cretin is nothing more than Garon's most recent jester. A nobody with less power and standing than a chambermaid.” With every word the knight spoke, Zola seemed to grow more and more infuriated, the color rising in his face to form ugly, blotchy spots of red.

     “Oh, _I_ have no power?! _I have no power!?_ I guess that's why _I'm_ the one who has soldiers and a position in Hoshido while _you're_ nothing but a disgraced fucking nursemaid! I've already dealt with that boil on humanity's ass Izana, and when I get rid of these byak bitches and Princess Traitor, _I'll_ be the king's right hand man! Not Iago, not you; _ME!!_ ”

     “He's stark-raving mad!” Tsubaki had moved to stand between Sakura and the cackling mage, his lance lowered in a defensive stance. Hana held her sword aloft, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

     “I don't know what you did to Izana-sama, but if you take a step near Sakura, you'll be dead before you hit the ground!” Nerr took a step forward, Zola falling back in tandem.

     “You've been sniffed out, and you're surrounded by _actual_ soldiers, Zorba. I suggest you surrender and we can deal with this without resorting to violence.” Zola's lips pulled up in a manic gin that revealed too much gum, his spindly fingers reaching into the depths of his threadbare cloak. He pulled out a thick tome, flipping it open before she had time to react.

Magical runes filled the air around him, and that was all the warning she got before she was knocked off her feet. It wasn't just Nerr- the trees shook, waxy red leaves blown away as branches broke. The princess tried to sit up as she landed in an awkward angle, but a rolling fog enveloped her, the chilled air growing heavier and heavier, filling up the gaps of her armor, her mouth, nose and ears. Choking, she scrambled against the weight, unable to see, or hear, or breathe. Was this what drowning felt like? Was she drowning? A tiny speck of light appeared near her fingers, and the Nohrian girl desperately fought to reach it. The more she flailed, the brighter the light grew, bringing air with it, until she manage to pull herself towards it. Gasping and coughing, she tried to drag herself along what seemed like solid ground, only to have her arms fall through it. It took a long moment for her panicked mind to catch up to the situation.

The balmy spring-like weather had been overtaken by a sudden, violent winter. What few leaves remained on the trees were withered and black, icicles clinging to their otherwise bare branches. Everything was white and barren, leaving the Izumite landscape more akin to Nohr. As she waded forward, the snow in her ears began melting, formerly muffled sounds now much clearer, but still partially swallowed by the banks. The others appeared in similar states, snow clinging thickly to their hair and clothes. Sakura was attempting to pull her retainer free, while Kaze was busy pressing a wadded up piece of cloth to Jakob's head. Stumbling out, the princess fell to the ground, shivering more than she would've expected. The mild Hoshidan weather was starting to make her soft.

     “Wh-- where is he? Where'd he go?!”

     “I-I-I don't know...” One could barely make out Azura's words through her chattering teeth. “I think he went towards the f-front of the castle; I don't know if he went inside, or j-j-just left town....” It took a while for the strength to return to her arms and legs, but Nerr managed to get to her feet, drawing her blade from it's new sheath.

     “We'll split up. Azura, you check the town with Sakura and her retainers. I'll check the castle with Gunther and Jakob. He's been here for a while, probably waiting on us- he had to set up shop somewhere.” Her retainers drew closer, Jakob a bit unsteady on his feet (she could see a patch of his silvery hair was tinted pink), and surprisingly, Kaze did as well.

     “Nerr-sama, allow me to accompany you. This mage seems like the type to lay out traps, and shinobi are skilled in detecting such things.” The princess hesitated for a second, but quickly nodded.

     “If nothing else, you can navigate these Hoshidan mazes.” Shouldering down, she charged through the snowbank, leaving a narrow path for the others to follow. Disquieted mumbling from the direction of the town was the first sign that something was amiss, but a quick glance revealed that a large portion of the main boulevard had been consumed by snow and ice as well. People attempted to pull one another free, the rubble of various stalls littering the newly frozen landscape. Shaking her head to clear it, she rounded the bend, heading up the winding walkway towards the castle itself. Frost crept along the hard packed ground. As she reached the doors, footsteps approached, and she turned to see Kaze stopping beside her. The shinobi reached out, placing his hand flat against the door, frowning.

     “What is it?”

     “...cold.” Pulling a dagger from his belt, he gestured for Nerr to back away. Gripping his blade tightly in one hand, he gripped the indentation where a handle would have been on a Nohrian door, and slid it open. Snow fell onto his head, though not enough to make a dent in the solid wall that sealed off the entrance. A clanking of armor heralded the arrival of Nerr's retainers, Jakob reaching them first. He leaned over, resting his weight on his knees. The wound on his head seemed to have clotted, but there were still streaks where blood had mixed with sweat.

     “It would seem someone doesn't want us to go this way.” He muttered, scowling at the snow.

     “Of course not.” Gunther pushed him away (though not unkindly), his own scowl making his scarred appearance even fiercer. “Cowards never want to face anyone directly.” With more force than was perhaps necessary, he carved out a path through the snow with his lance. The barrier wasn't very thick, just two or three feet. Clearly, this Zola didn't put as much effort into this spell as he did the first one. Nerr pushed her way inside, the snow melting slightly as it came in contact with her body. The interior of the Izumite palace was eerily similar to the one in Shirasagi, the only noticeable difference being that frost coated the walls and floor, and the fact that it was completely deserted. There was no sign of life, no distant sounds of speaking or movement, not even the faint whiff of another human. There was only cold and a lingering stench of elder magic. As she looked around, the others came in behind her.

     “Shouldn't there be people here?” Jakob asked, his voice quiet.

     “Not if that mage came here first.”

     “No, I meant other Nohrians. I sincerely doubt a singular mage came here without backup, and he said something about having soldiers.”

     “You're right, boy. That just means we can't see them yet. We'd best be on our guard.” Nerr nudged the shinobi in front of her.

     “You came here to sniff out traps- you go first.” Rather than protest like she expected him to, Kaze simply nodded and stepped ahead.

They walked slowly through the long, narrow corridors. The entire palace was frigid, frost clinging to the plaster walls. Nerr could see her breath as she tried to keep her pulse under control. A thick fog swirled at their feet, muting once vibrant colors into something far too dreary for Hoshido. A few times, the ninja stopped them, his entire being going stiff as his head slowly turned right and left. During those times, the Nohrian princess would tense up as well, straining her ears in a desperate bid to pick up on the tiniest noise, the barest hint that there really _was_ someone else there. Sometimes, she _thought_ she heard something, a garbled whisper (or maybe whispers), but when she glanced at the others, they gave no indication that they heard anything out of the ordinary.

Some of the doors they came across were slightly ajar, and when they peered inside after Kaze, they occasionally saw weapons and armor of a distinctly Nohrian variety, but never any soldiers. The oppressive air of _knowing_ there were people there, waiting for them like snakes in the grass, set Nerr's nerves on edge more than any battle she'd fought thus far. Kaze had just set one foot into the adjacent hall before throwing himself back, plowing into the rest of them. She was about to question what his malfunction was when the Hoshidan man covered her mouth with his hand, still looking at the the hall. They all went silent, not even breathing, as the floorboards groaned softly under the weight of someone coming nearer. The princess forced Kaze's hand away, adjusting her grip on the Yato's hilt. They'd finally come across their first sign of life- she needed to see if they were friend or foe. Preparing herself for either encounter, she took a moment to gauge how far away her target was- about... fifteen feet, by the sound of it- before stepping out into the hall.

A stout, burly man clad in hard leather armor had been strolling down the hall at an almost leisurely pace. He was probably a guard. For a moment, it crossed her mind that perhaps she could speak to him civilly, but her mind was still under the impression that she was as much Norhian royalty to her people as she was to herself when that simply wasn't the case anymore. The fighter stopped short the moment he noticed her, but quickly overcame his shock, unhooking the ax from his belt and grabbing the hide wrapped haft as he charged at her. Nerr took a fighting stance, gripping her makeshift buckler tightly- she could perhaps get some information if she disarmed him- but her plan never quiet reached fruition. There was a loud blast that preceded the soldier stumbling forward as he arched forward. His heavily muscled abdomen ripped apart from the inside, sending blood and pink coils tumbling down to his feet. Shrieking in agony, he face planted, writhing as blood pooled out around him, steaming as it melted the ice it touched.

     “Milady!!”

     “My lady, what was that!?” Her retainers rounded the bend to see what had caused the commotion, but Nerr barely noticed them. Her attention was focused on the figure at the far end of the hall. The frozen haze obscured any discernible features, but she could see a faint green glow by the being's knees. What little it illuminated looked like a bow, though a very strange one, oddly carved--

     “kIlL...” Her heart jolted painfully in her chest, the strained whisper sounding as though it had been hissed directly into her ear. “...nOrHiAnS...”

     “What is that?” Jakob sounded more bemused than concerned, but that was undoubtedly because he couldn't see anything but an dark shape through the gloom. The glow was rising higher, and Nerr gasped, turning around and tackling her retainers as hard as she could.

     “DIE!!!!” They hit the ground in a heap as a powerful wind blew past them. The holy arrow hit the opposite wall with a bang almost identical to the one she'd heard when the soldier fell. Wooden beams broke with a thundering crack, the smooth white plaster exploding and sending large chunks and dust raining onto them. The men beneath her groaned, the unexpected fall undoubtedly leaving more than a few bruises, but Nerr paid their discomfort no mind, scrambling to her feet and desperately trying to pull them to theirs.

     “It's Takumi! Run!!”

     “Takumi-sama?” Kaze was not displaying the appropriate level of fear for the situation. “This is wonderful. If we can explain--”

     “No explain!! Just run!!” The princess pushed him forward, back in the direction they came from. The Hoshidan prince wasn't running (which seemed incredibly odd, but there was no time to dwell on it), but his shuffling gait was quickening. Either catching on to the danger at hand, or simply trying to appease her rough shoving, the men finally began running. Nerr hazarded a glance over her shoulder as she followed them.

Further in the distance, she could yelling- it seemed the commotion had spurred the Nohrian soldiers lying in wait to wait no longer. All things considered, she'd rather deal with _them_ than the murderous prince hunting them down. The halls seemed longer than they did when they came down them the first time. One of the doors burst open, another soldier barreling at them, his sword whistling as he struck at them. Jakob gabbed the blade, the steel sparking as it hit his ebony gauntlets.

A bit of grappling that seemed to stretch on for hours led to the steward unsheathing his dagger and pulling the other man forward by the blade. As the mercenary tried to regain his balance, the silvery blade was driven into his gut, retracting with a faint sucking sound before being rammed back in. The soldier let out a high keen of agony. It was almost enough to drown out the creaking floorboards. Shadows danced across the walls, accented by a purling green light. Pushing her retainer ahead, Nerr grabbed the soldier's arms, tossing him to the floor behind them. It was callous, it was heartless. Unfortunately for him, any sense of compassion she might have felt was overpowered by the hope that he would be enough of an obstacle to slow the prince down at least a bit.

     “I see you, _S_ _i_ _S_ _t_ _E_ _r..._!” Stumbling over her own feet, the princess took off again, the unnaturally guttural voice following her down the hall. She could see the door leading outside just up ahead. Before they could reach it, however, it was thrown open. Sakura stumbled in, apparently pushed by Azura, who was looking over her shoulder in alarm.

     “Hurry up!” She called out, presumably to the younger girl's retainers. Hana ran in, clutching her sword arm, with Tsubaki right behind her. He slid the door shut, panting hard as he leaned against it slightly. Nerr could hear the steps behind her growing ever so slightly louder, loud enough in the otherwise silent corridor. Putting on a quick burst of speed, she skidded to a halt before the Hoshidans, her heart palpitating despite the lack of exertion.

     “What are you doing in here? Get back outside!” She hissed as loudly as she could while still whispering. Azura's expression was tight with fear, though it was doubtful anything out there could be worse than what was behind them.

     “There are Nohrian soldiers out there. We're outnumbered.”

     “We're outnumbered in here too. Get out!”

     “ _No_ _H_ _r_ _I_ _a_ _N_ _s_...” A chill ran down her spine with every approaching step. Sakura looked around Azura's hip, a wide smile lighting up her face.

     “N-nii-sama!” She tried to run to Takumi, and without thinking, Nerr grabbed her arm, throwing her to the floor just as a bolt of pale green magic detonated where she had been only a second before. The gust of wind knocked her off balance, but she was the least caught off guard. Azura gaped at the prince, taking a step forward.

     “Takumi, what is the matter with you?! You almost hit--”

     “ _DIE, NOHRIAN!!!_ ” She had the common sense to duck before Takumi let loose another arrow. Grabbing the singer's arm, Nerr pulled her down the corridor opposite the one they had just run from. She could hear footsteps behind her, faster than Takumi's and intermittent with the clanking of armor, but didn't bother looking. Skidding to a halt, the Nohrian princess threw open a sliding door. The room was thankfully empty, she hurriedly ushered Azura and the others inside. She couldn't see Takumi, but knew he would soon be there. Quickly getting inside, she closed the door as quietly as she could with her hands shaking. The Hoshidans stared at her utterly bemused, except to the pink clad samurai, who looked angry.

     “What the hell was that about? What did you--” She was cut off mid sentence as Jakob and Gunther both clapped their hands over her mouth. She struggled against their attempt to silence her, and Sakura quickly joined in trying to free them.

     “Stop it! You're hurting her--!!” Quicker than she thought she could, Nerr crossed the room, pulling the younger girl away and covering her mouth tightly. She was probably hurting the princess, but as she strained her ears for any sound outside in the hall, her fingers dug further into the girl's cheek, eliciting a squeaky whimper.

     “Shut up!” Nerr hissed breathlessly, turning to the others. “All of you. Don't speak. Don't move. Don't fucking _breathe_.”

Perhaps they could feel the frustration wafting from her, but the room went blessedly silent. Even the already quiet exhalations became softer. The perfectly still air carried sound much further, and in the distance, she could hear people talking. Multiple people, speaking in a familiar dialect. The talking grew louder, accompanied by heavy footsteps. Doors scraped along the floor as they were roughly pulled open, the paper that covered them ripping occasionally. They weren't that far away, maybe three or four rooms at most. They would get to this room and discover them, and the ensuring skirmish would draw Takumi's attention. Another door was apparently torn off it's hinges. The Nohrian soldiers laughed, joking something about shitty Hoshidan design. Nerr was inclined to agree- at least in Nohr, doors offered a _bit_ more protection than paper.

     “Huh? Isn't that--??”

     “Well, look who got loose. You can't even tie a fucking knot, Vincent; what are you good for?”

     “I tied that shit perfectly!”

     “Yeah yeah, just grab him.” Footsteps came closer, closer, continuing right past their room, but not making it much further before a deafening crack shook the walls.

The howl of wind was muted by the terrified screaming of the soldiers. With only audio cues, Nerr could only try to paint a picture of what was happening in her head. Takumi must have run into them and killed one. Some fumbled for their swords. Others ran. Panicking. He was picking them off one by one. Killing some right away. Only injuring the others as they continued screaming for a while yet. He walked past their room. More blasts. Came back. Blood splattered across the door, sometimes in a mist, occasionally in large splashes, tinting the paper crimson.

     “W-w-wait! Please! Please don't--!!” Another crack and the terrified pleading became a quiet gurgling before falling silent.

     There was no noise for the longest time. Not inside the room or out. Through the translucent screen, she could just make out an opaque blur. It was too faint to tell what it was, but she was certain it was Takumi. He stood just outside the room, not doing anything from what she could see. Just... standing there... Amidst his carnage. He was probably taking in his handiwork, admiring how easily he had rid the world of a few more Nohrians. Fury welled up within her, and the urge to rush outside and break his bow arm was only mitigated by the fear that he might be quicker on the draw than her. The silence dragged on, seconds stretching into one minute, then another. Finally, the Hoshidan prince moved, walking ahead. The room let out a collective sigh of relief. Sakura pushed Nerr's hand away, rushing towards the door. Kaze grabbed at her, trying to pull her back.

     “Sakura-sama, it's not safe!”

     “Yes it is! That's Takumi nii-sama; he won't hurt me. I just have to talk to him!” She placed her hand on the door, only to be knocked to the ground by the shinobi. The door still opened, though. Not naturally, no- the paper was torn to shreds, the wooden frame splintering and sending tiny needles flying into the room through the newly created jagged window. A youthful face contorted into a hateful sneer peered into the room as the prince took aim. Fearful cries echoed as he summoned a pale green arrow and let it loose. Nerr stared as the light grew brighter, like a startled doe. A searing pain radiated through her side, and a wet heat spread across her hip and down her leg.

     “ _Finally_...” Summoning another arrow, a cruel smile split his face only to be distorted into a grimace of pain as a silver dagger was thrust into his arm. As the dark blue sleeve was stained a darker purple, Jakob wrenched the blade down further, the pain forcing Takumi to drop his bow. Despite feeling lightheaded, the Nohrian princess was acutely aware of her own pain receding from her side, only to course along her nerves and snake into her arm.

The colors in the room grew dim and washed out as the blood in the air saturated until she could taste it. The look on Takumi's face as her skin was peeled off in strips and wound around the distorted mass of darkened flesh where her left arm once resided indicated that the process looked at least as repulsive as it felt, but he was given no time to dwell on the horror before him. Fingers elongated and grew twenty times thicker, bone expanding beyond the muscle to form teeth that latched onto the blood stained robes. As the young prince tried to pull away, in fear or disgust she neither knew nor cared. The toothy maw closed tighter, ripping the cloth and digging into the tender flesh beneath.

 _“_ _What. The fuck. Is your problem!?”_ She emphasized her enraged query by whipping him into the nearest wall. The way his head snapped back, hitting the shrapnel-laden plaster would've elicited a sympathetic flinch once, but now, the only thing that kept her from lashing the boy about like a ragdoll were the small hands that grabbed her arm. Sakura pulled with all her might, trying to restrain her. It was laughable; the draconic strength imbued in her blood could've lifted both Hoshidan royals without breaking a sweat, but the sight of the fearful, tear-filled eyes staring up at her gave her pause.

     “S-s-stop! D-don't hurt h-him!!” Staring down at her birth sister, Nerr tightened her grip, only stopping when Takumi cried out in pain, resuming his writhing against her teeth.

     “ _He hurt_ _ **me**_ _. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do the same.”_

     “Because he's not himself, Nerr. Look at his eyes!” Azura scrambled towards them, her attention more focused on her brother than the monster currently trying to pop him like a bladder. Nerr glanced up at the hateful thing she was keeping pinned against the wall. There was nothing unusual about his face as far as she could see- he looked as loathsome and angry as he always did when she was around. The urge to squeeze until his skin ripped and everything inside him broke was frightfully intense. She dropped him, quickly backing away as color came flooding back into her vision. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could barely hear over the rush of blood in her ears, and as such missed the first notes Azura trilled.

 

“ _\--_ _the oceans' gray waves... Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

Water coalesced in the air, at first a fine mist, but quickly joining together to form fat drops that hovered around her, reflecting the light in the room like little stars. A shudder ran down Nerr's spine and she covered her ears (or at least tried to- the pain just over her left hip kept her from moving too much on that side). She wasn't the only one who didn't seem to appreciate the impromptu performance; Takumi let out a harsh yell, writhing on the ground like an insect caught on his back as he attempted to cover his ears as well.

     “Shut up! _Sh_ _U_ _t_ _U_ _p_ , you anyan whore; I'll _K_ _i_ _L_ _l_ you!!!” Barely fazed by his heckling, the songstress continued, the air growing more and more saturated until condensation ran down the walls and her dress clung to her skin, the dusty white silk almost transparent. As she sang, the prince's struggles grew weaker and weaker until they stopped all together. Holding her last note, Azura slowly stopped, taking a step back and stumbling. She'd have fallen had Tsubaki not quickly braced her up. Lowering her hands, Nerr approached tentatively, keeping a sharp eye out in case the little bastard made any sudden moves. She gave the singer a sidelong glance.

     “What was that? What did you do; kill him?”

     “What? No!” She shook her head, looking tired- the bags under her eyes, which had been faint until that point, were now a dark purple. “ _Something_ was making him act like that. I got rid of it.” She gave the other princess a meaningful look, and Nerr felt her stomach sink as it dawned on her what Azura was most likely talking about. Takumi stirred, groaning slightly as his eyes fluttered open.

     “Wha-- where am I..?”

     “Nii-sama!” Sakura descended on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. “Y-you're okay now! Th-thank the gods...!”

     “Huh? Sakura, what are--” He cut himself off, his gaze panning up. The moment he laid eyes on the older women, every trace of confusion left him, replaced with a searing hate. “ _You two!_ You have the nerve to come back to Hoshido after what you did?!” His hands scrambled along the floor, searching for his bow. “Traitorous bitches! I'm going to--” His threat was cut short by a heel colliding with his mouth. She would have preferred wearing nice, hard Nohrian greaves, but even without metal plating she quickly shut him up. Nerr could feel his teeth deform beneath his lips. That simple movement left her doubled over as more blood oozed from her wound, but it was well worth it.

     “You're going to shut your mouth before I break your fucking jaw is what you're going to do! No one has time for your temper tantrums.” She looked back to the Hoshidans. “Find something to tie him up with. We still have to find that Zola thing, and I don't trust _this_ one as far as I can spit.”

     “No way! We're not tying up Takumi-sama!” The very sound of that Hana girl's voice grated her nerves raw. Snarling under her breath, Nerr headed towards what remained of the door, breaking the already damaged wood and paper until there was an opening large enough for her to step through.

     “Then you can stay here with him and restrain him. I'm not going to be looking over my shoulder every second. And if I turn around and see him behind me, I _will_ kill him.”

     “Nerr.”

     “What?!” She snapped at Azura. There was nothing that could be said to convince her that the hateful child still glaring daggers at her was anything other than the monster he had shown himself to be earlier. To her surprise, the blunette didn't try to vouch for her younger brother. She didn't even look upset, simply pointing at the other princess.

     “You're bleeding.” Glancing down at her side, Nerr noticed that while some of the lacerated flesh by her hip had knit itself back together, she could still see far too much exposed muscle to be healthy.

     “I'm aware of that! I'll deal with it later.” The hallway was littered with bodies, at least a half dozen. They lay in awkward positions, with their arms and legs folded under them. Most had holes in their chests and bellies, though one unlucky individual was simply missing everything below his nose. She could see the bones of his spine, shards of white sticking out of the macerated sinew that remained of his neck. Despite the pain burning her with every step, she was luckier than the poor bastards through whose blood she now waded. It stuck to her feet, leaving a macabre trail as she headed further down the hall.

     “Milady, please stop!” She'd have kept walking if Jakob hadn't overtaken her, blocking her way forward with his arms (she could have ducked beneath them, but she didn't think she was in any shape to do anything more than stand upright).

     “I'm fine, Jakob.”

     “You most certainly are not! You can't tell me you don't feel that. Just stand still...” He unhooked a healing staff from his belt, frowning as he channeled his magic through the crystal at it's apex. It glowed with a bright green light, almost like the light that wounded her in the first place.

Nerr could feel the familiar itching work it's way under her skin, but there wasn't anytime to grow accustomed to it as a burly figure rounded the corner a few doors away from them. Upon seeing unfamiliar faces, she raised her ax and charged at them. The fighter swung at Jakob's head, but he ducked long before the large, heavy ax reached him.

Spinning about on his heel, the butler struck her across the face with his staff, the crystal shattering and leaving deep bloody gashes about her eyes. Dropping her ax, the soldier clutched at her bloody face, trying to look up as armored footfalls echoed in the hall. Nerr looked up as well, just as the shining point of a lance swept over her head, the edge severing skin and muscle and releasing a gush of bright red blood from the gaping slit in the fighter's neck. She clawed haplessly at the wound for a few seconds before keeling over, blood pooling out and lapping at their feet. Drawing his lance back to his side once more, Gunther reached out and cuffed Jakob across the back of the head.

     “Idiot, you were supposed to use that staff to heal Lady Nerr!”

     “It would've been a bit difficult to heal her if she'd gotten bisected!!”

     “Then you should have used your worthless body as a shield because _now_ she'll bleed to death!” Despite the carnage around her, Nerr could not help but give a wan chuckle.

     “Do you truly have so little faith in me, Gunther? I think I can hold out a bit longer still.”

Still laughing under her breath, the princess continued walking, stepping around the still warm body as it was too big to step over. It felt disgusting, laughing as she passed the bodies of her countrymen like trash, but the only alternative was crying. She could feel her throat tightening, her eyes burning as she adjusted her grip on the Yato's hilt. But there was no time for that. No time for tears, or remorse, or fear, or even anger. Every second that passed without her subduing their captain was another second these soldiers had orders to kill her and her retainers.

Something dark whizzed by her. She had seen it out of the corner of her eye, had felt the slight shift in the air, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there but her retainers and Kaze bringing up the rear. A faint chuffing behind her gave cause to spin around faster than she should have, tearing open the barely healed skin at her side. Once again, there was nothing there. Only there was. She could smell the faint odor of sulfur under the overlying stench of blood. Even if she couldn't see him, he was there. Straightening, Nerr scoffed loudly, addressing the air.

     “Is this the extent of your martial prowess? Trying to spook me? I suggest you come out and face me directly, coward; if Iago's parlor tricks won't work on me, what hope is there that yours will?” Thick smoke filled the adjacent hall, nearly obscuring the glowing runes as dozens of Zolas appeared before her. Multiplied tenfold, he was even more unsettling, his cadaver-like face pulled into an unsightly cross between a smile and a snarl.

     “Iago is _nothing_ compared to me. He only has power because King Garon _gave_ it to him. I made myself what I am, and I'll be the one to-- hey!!! Get back here!! _Stop ignoring me!!_ ” The angry illusions shuddering in unison as the Nohrian princess walked through one of them, the cold fog of elder magic clinging to her skin.

     “You'll be the first one to die if I have to spend five more minutes looking for you. Make this easier for yourself and your soldiers and give up.” The illusions gaped at her, before their thin lips stretched into a felid grin, baring stumpy little teeth that stood out even whiter against his ashen skin.

     “ 'Give up'? How about I _exterminate you instead!?”_ They all raised their right hands, the left appearing to hold a tome that she could not see, though the runes of whatever spell he was casting lit up the dim corridors.

     “Nerr-sama, watch out!” The air before her distorted, shimmering for a split second before Kaze materialized, just as an icy wind ripped through the halls. She could see the shards of ice cutting his clothes to shreds and leaving faint red lines on the skin beneath, but the ninja otherwise seemed okay as he withstood the spell. Looking over his shoulder at her, bright blue eyes narrowed. “Go!” She didn't need to be told twice, running as fast as she could in her current state. The smell of magic was getting stronger as the ice that coated the walls and floor grew thicker. She found herself skidding and hitting one of the walls harder than she would've liked.

     “There she is!”

     “Get her!” Down another corridor, two mages caught sight of her and began running in her direction. By the grace of the gods, they were as unbalanced on the slick floors as she was, and their desperate flailing bought her enough time to reach for her dragonstone. As she squeezed the azure rune, her bones shattered, reforming into deformed versions of themselves as each joint was broken and set the opposite way. The soldiers screamed as her skull split, the bone growing and curling upwards into sharp points. Thick claws found better traction, gripping the ice as she galloped towards them, head lowered. One mage turned around and began running in the opposite direction. He was the smart one. The other, either by fear or bravado, fumbled for his tome, flipping it open just as the razor's edge of prongs pierced the spaces between his ribs.

As close to him as she was, Nerr could hear the gurgling in his breath as his lungs filled with blood. Pulling her head back took some doing, the curved parts of her horns catching on flesh and bone and refusing to come free until she widened the hole. Blood pooled at her feet as the shuddering body hit the ground, some of it melting into a small lake of dark pink water. Lifting her head (and attempting to repress a shudder as blood trickled down her face), the princess sniffed at the air. The coppery tang was stuck in the back of her throat, but accenting the bloodtaste was the acrid burn of dark magic. Creeping forward, Nerr rounded the corner, flinching as icy fletchettes tore at her. They barely left a mark on her thick hide (though the cold was in no way pleasant), but she could feel them cutting through the thinner membrane stretched between her wings. Keeping her head down, she waited for the spell to subside. Her body was wracked with violent tremors as the chill in the air persisted, but she continued walking. This was no worse than a Freesian wake-up call, after all.

     “ _Zola... Knock-knock...I sme_ _l_ _l you...”_ She intoned, only to be met with another blast of ice magic. Cold, not entirely sane laughter echoed all around her.

     “You just don't know when to give up, do you, you stupid beast? Ha... hahaha! No wonder you pretend not to remember me; you're too thick to be rightfully impressed by my brilliance. Oh well; you'll have time to figure it out when you're dead!” He began laughing again, probably thinking he said something quite clever. Forcing her frozen limbs to move- and trying to ignore the ungodly burning in her extremities- Nerr followed the stench of magic, the laughter growing clearer as the smell grew stronger.

The door she stopped before was the only one she had seen that wasn't comprised primarily of paper. If he thought he was being smart, he wasn't. Turning around, the princess aimed a powerful kick to the wood. She felt it give slightly under the force, but it stayed intact. That changed after two more kicks, the barrier splintering. Before she could break it down completely, the door opened, causing her to stumble a bit as the force of her kick carried through. Turning, she stuck her head inside, faltering as a familiar suit of ebon plate met her gaze. The boy turned around, confusion quickly settling into irritation as his shoulders slumped.

     “Oh. It's _you_. I suppose I'm not surprised to find you traipsing about Hoshido.”

 _“Leo? What are you--”_ Snapping the dyed leather tome shut, the young prince began walking towards her, dragging his feet.

     “Not that it's any concern of a _traitor_ , but I'm looking for one of our captains who hasn't returned yet. I have more than enough to deal with without wasting my breath on one that abandoned her family, so would you kindly stay out of my way?” The prince attempted to push past her bulk, only to have a large claw knock him back. Leo hit the opposite wall hard, collapsing into a pile. Wincing, he looked up. “What are you--?”

     “ _How stupid do you think I am, Zola?_ _Enough t_ _hat I_ _do_ _n't know my own brother?_ _Try standing up straight, you filthy cockroach._ _Y_ _ou'd have had better luck impersonating another Hoshidan.”_ The prince glowered at her before his boyish face grew sharper and more gaunt, flaxen hair becoming a dingy, mousy brown. He stared up at her, his bugged eyes growing even more disturbingly wide as she drew closer, looming over him, her shadow casting him in darkness.

     “Y-you won't kill me. You didn't kill those Hoshidan prisoners...”

     “ _That was then. This is now.”_ She swiped at him, not enough to rip his face off, but plenty to knock him on his craven ass. It wasn't as satisfying as she had hoped for- if only it had been Iago or Hans cowering before her... But the knowledge that he would be paid back at least in part for all the trouble and death he was responsible for heartened her a bit, and she raised her foot again. The mage curled into himself, trembling more violently than her.

     “I thought you _liked_ Nohrians! I-I'm just following or-- GAH!!!” She didn't wait for his half-assed pleas, rearing up and bringing her front feet down hard on his ribs, knocking him flatter.

     “ _I warned you- I WARNED you! Every soldier out there is d_ _e_ _ad because of YOU!! And now, you get to join them!!”_ She stomped on him again and again, tearing his skin as easily as his shabby cloak, bones cracking a little more with each impact. _“_ _What have you done with the real Izana? Tell me and I'll stop trampling you!”_

     “N-never!” Zola managed to squeak out through his grunts of pain. It was almost impressive.

She stood on her hind legs, getting ready to bring her entire weight down on his spine when a flash of light blinded her. Falling back to all fours, her front feet met only cold wood, foul smelling smoke wafting around them. Grinding her teeth together (or she would have if she had any), Nerr looked around for a sign of the horrid jester in vain. In the distance, she heard a scream. For a moment, she thought it was him, but it was an even higher pitch. Backing out of the room, she ran back the way she came, nearly plowing through her retainers as she stumbled over the remains of several more Nohrian soldiers.

     “Lady Nerr! You're alright!”

     “ _Did you hear that?”_

     “We thought it was you.” She shook her head, looking over theirs.

     “ _It came from back there.”_ Quiet sobbing, probably only audible to her, echoed hollowly. Pushing past the men, Nerr paid little mind to the crunching bones of those he stepped on, stopping abruptly before the room she'd left the Hoshidans in. They were till all there, but this time, there was another among their numbers. Zola held Sakura to his chest, a bloody arm pressed tightly against her neck, staining her white robes red. His gaze darted frantically between the Hoshidans before he noticed Nerr. He smiled widely, a tick going off in his left eye.

     “Well well, look who decided to join us. Have you met my adorable hostage?”

     “You let her go, you anyan filth!” Takumi took a threatening step forward, only to stop as the mage tightened his grip, causing the young princess to gag violently.

     “Nuh uh uh! You're in no position to be making threats, unless you think Hoshido can make do with only four royals?” Snarling under his breath, the Hoshidan boy backed up. “That's what I thought. Now then, you're going to get the fuck out of my way while I get out of here, and maybe you'll get your little sister back in one piece.” Nerr scoffed loudly.

     “ _You should've picked a thicker shield, whatever your name is. If you think I can't run you both through, you're sorely mistaken.”_

     “Wh-what...? You... y-y-you don't mean that, do you nee-sama...?” Sakura looked up at her, her coral colored eyes wide with fright.

     “ _I absolutely mean that, and if you make me do it, Zoloft, I can promise you your death will not be easy.”_ The Hoshidans all exclaimed at once, a cacophony of angry voices filling the air.

     “You can't be serious!”

     “I knew it; all Nohrians are the same!”

     “Nerr, what is wrong with you!?” She ignored them, taking a step closer.

     “ _It's up to you, Zorro; do you want_ _to surrender_ _, or do you want me to rip your l_ _imbs_ _off_ _one at time_ _like a fly?”_ He chuckled darkly, sweat beading near the base of his ridiculous hat despite the chill in the air.

     “Y-you're bluffing. There's no way you'd go through your precious little sister.”

     “ _My little sister is in Nohr. You have until 'three'. Two... Thr--”_ Before she could finish her countdown, the ground rumbled violently. She only had a moment to wonder if Hoshido was prone to earthquakes before the floor all but exploded, sending thick pieces of the wooden floorboards flying through the air as massive branches emerged behind Zola, coiling around his throat and wrists like serpents. As his limbs were contorted painfully behind him, Sakura hit the ground, gasping for air as her retainers quickly rushed to her side. The shock of the familiar magic left Nerr shrinking rapidly as she looked around for it's source.

     “Leo!” She quickly looked again to make sure Zola was still restrained. He was, so that meant Leo really _was_ there! The sight of her little brother in familiar dark armor left her heart racing with a brief glimmer of hope that was nearly extinguished at once as he pushed her out of the way as though she were nothing more than an irritating peddler. He scowled at Zola, who struggled weakly against his bonds.

     “I figured you'd still be here, trying to scrounge up some piddly amount of glory despite having orders to return to your post. Bad enough you can't follow simple instructions, bad enough you drag an entire platoon down with you, but hiding behind a little girl when you're bested? You are the lowest of the low...” The mage gasped for breath as the branch around his through visibly tightened.

     “I-I'm sorry, Lord Leo. I was-- I was only trying to help... all I do is for the... for the glory of Nohr...!!” Flipping open his tome, the air around the prince pulsated with energy as the ground began shuddering once more.

     “You'll serve Nohr better in death than you ever could in life, you wretched disgrace...!” He lifted his hand, only to have the steel gauntlet lightly pushed back down. He whipped his head around, bemusement overtaking his disgust for a split second as he met Nerr's eyes.

     “Don't, Leo.” The blonde boy gave a dry bark of laughter that held no humor.

     “Are you honestly defending that... that _thing?_ After he tried to kill you- I _know_ that's why he's here! You _can not_ be that ignorant!”

     “You're the ignorant one if you think I'm that stupid, Leo! I'm not defending him; I'm defending _you_. Spiteful, cowardly little peon though he is, he's one of your soldiers, brother. He's one of your people. _You_ aren't so cold as to murder your own people... I know that.” Leo's eyes narrowed as he attempted to stare her down, but Nerr would not waver, lifting her chin, daring him, daring him to prove her wrong. Fifteen years was more than enough time to learn to see through his bravado, and surely enough, the younger boy slowly closed his tome. The branches unwound around his limbs and Zola fell to the ground in a heap, moaning pitifully as he curled into a ball.

     “Ever the manipulative primadona, aren't you, Nerr?”

     “You flatter me.” She remarked dryly.

     “Just remember that his life is on your hands now. Every cowardly thing he does, every person who dies because of him dies because of _you_.”

     “That sounds like a problem for future Nerr to deal with. But while you're here, I need to speak with you.” Leo scoffed loudly, pulling away from her touch.

     “I have nothing to say to you, traitor. I only came because I don't need rogue captains messing up our campaign. If I don't deal with him, I'm sure Izumo will.” Pushing past her once more, the blonde prince began heading back the way he came. Clenching her jaw tightly, Nerr jogged after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around to face her.

     “Drop the act, Leo. You know as well as I do that I'm no traitor. Tell me; what on the gods' green earth would I have to gain by betraying my homeland and those I love for the sake of strangers? Strangers who want to _kill me_ , might I add _._ How can you possibly believe that I would throw away my whole life for... _them!?_ ” She gestured angrily back to the room they'd just left. Her brother stared at her for a long time, his expression indecipherable. Finally, he sighed, his ridged posture going slack.

     “You'd be amazed how easy it is to ignore common sense, sister. Elise and Camilla have been telling Xander that very same thing since the battle at the border, and he all but covers his ears in response.” The thought of her brave, gallant brother being so willfully ignorant infuriated her, but she bit her tongue.

     “And you, Leo? Do you cover your ears as well?” Leo remained silence for a long time. When he finally answered, his voice was little more than a whisper.

     “...no. I did at first. For a while, actually... but I've been thinking about what you said that day. About Father working with someone else, someone who may not have Nohr's best interests in mind. ...I fear you may be right, Nerr. Only recently, word has come that the Ice Tribe may be planning a rebellion, and his first decree was to execute them. _All_ of them, even the children! I told him he was being crazy, and he sent me to Mokushuu.”

     “To what?”

     “It's a Hoshidan territory. They were our allies in the last war, and they're serving as a base for our soldiers now.” That... sounded familiar, but she would have to ask one of the Hoshidans about that later. For now, she directed her thoughts back to this new revelation about Garon.

     “Do you see, Leo? Do you see now? The man's lost his gods' damned mind! If he's willing to murder his own people in cold blood for the sin of being in the same duchy as potential rebels, is it really that much of a stretch that that he would kill innocent Hoshidan civilians?” Leo shook his head. With his brows furrowed and thin lips turned down, he looked like a worried child. It was all she could do to not reach out and pat his head.

     “It pains me to concede how right you may be, Nerr. But I don't understand; Nohr needs no aid, so what would give Father cause to join forces with someone who asks so steep a price in return for their support? I haven't even heard of any additional troops coming in.”

     “Tell me, Leo; do you know of Anankos?”

     “A-what-coast?”

     “Anankos. That is who Garon is in league with.”

     “Who is he?” Nerr shook her head helplessly, wishing desperately that she could tell him everything she knew thus far.

     “A powerful entity that desires the destruction of both Nohr and Hoshido. I can't say anything more; I'm afraid powers beyond my ken stay my tongue. But know this, Leo- even if I cannot return yet, I only have Nohr's best interests at heart. I only want to keep you all safe.” Earthen eyes narrowed as he searched her face, looking for any indication that she was lying.

     “...I'll see what I can learn about this 'Anankos' on my own, then. I suppose this is where we part ways once more, sister.” He turned to walk away again, but Nerr grabbed his hand before he could take more than a few steps. She paid his exasperation no mind as she squeezed his palm.

     “...please be careful, baby brother. It's easy to believe that Father would see me dead simply because I'm not his child, but I fear he is no longer the man Xander believes him to be. Just as he would cut down his own people, so too might he turn on you for daring to speak the truth.”

     “That's why we generally don't do that, Nerr. Only _you're_ stupid enough to decry him to his face.” Nodding, but in no way feeling reassured, the princess let go of Leo's hand, but found that he had moved to grip her fingers himself. “We'll be fine, sister. I suggest you follow your own advice; regardless of your true intentions, you're an enemy of Nohr now. I can't order the soldiers _not_ to attack you, but I _can_ implore you to give Mokushuu a wide berth.”

     “I'll keep that in mind.” She clasped his hand in both of hers, well aware that he couldn't feel her touch through his gloves. “We'll be a family again soon, Leo. All I ask is that you and Camilla and Elise not forsake me.” The younger boy grinned wryly.

     “Have you already given up hope for Xander?”

     “I'll be having words with Xander soon enough. It's up to _him_ to decide if he actually believes any of the fraternal lies he's been spouting for fifteen years.” It was with great reluctance that she let him go, this time clutching the hem of her sweater to keep her hands at her sides. It would've been so wonderful to just return to Nohr with him, to pretend the only enemy she had to worry about was Hoshido, but doing so would make her a coward. A weak, pathetic coward who just wanted to go home and have everything be the way it was supposed to be...

000

Finding the real daimyo was easier than Nerr would've expected. Zola, despite his insistence that he would rather die than help them, changed his tune rather quickly the moment she began exerting pressure on his fingers. Izana and the castle staff were downstairs in the cellar-turned-makeshift dungeon. The mage breathed a sigh of relief as she released his hand, immediately letting loose an ear-piercing shriek as the princess quickly grabbed his fingers once more and bent them backwards until they snapped like dried kindling. With a kick to the stomach for good measure, Nerr returned to the gore-splattered hallway where the Hoshidans were all staring at her as though she had insulted all their mothers. She met their gaze evenly.

     “Well? You heard him; the daimyo's in the cellar. Get to it.”

     “Are we supposed to just ignore the fact that you threatened to kill Sakura earlier?” Nerr rolled her eyes so hard at Azura's exasperated ire that it physically hurt.

     “Yes. You _are_ supposed to ignore that. It's called a bluff; I assumed you'd call it considering this isn't even the first time I've made one in front of you.”

     “Th-that didn't sound like a bluff...” Sakura muttered under her breath, refusing to meet the Norhian woman's gaze. Takumi had no issue doing so, his dark eyes filled with loathing as he stared at her.

     “That's because it _wasn't_. She'd have killed you in heartbeat, Sakura. Just like she killed our mother. I don't know how your retainers let you stay in the company of anyans, but they'll be replaced if they can't do their job.” At that point, the retainers in question began protesting loudly, retorting (rightfully so) that they couldn't go against their liege's wishes and if she wanted to traipse about with Nohrians, all they could do was follow. Nerr cared little for the perceived grievances of the Hoshidans, busy arguing amongst each other how she could murder them, and quietly slipped away unnoticed. Her retainers quickly joined her (and Kaze as well, for... some reason). Gunther fell in step beside her.

     “Are we planning to continue without Lady Azura, my lady?”

     “I'm not sure yet. For now, we're going to go find the real Izana since the Hoshidans obviously don't care about-- ugh...” The ground suddenly pitched violent beneath her feet, leaving her desperately trying to regain her balance. Two pairs of hands grabbed her arms, holding her steady. Jakob's concerned face swam about in her wavering vision.

     “Milady, you aren't well. I think perhaps you should rest.” Nerr exhaled sharply, closing her eyes as she willed the vertigo to pass.

     “Trust me, Jakob, there will be plenty of time to rest when I'm dead. For now, I just want to find this Izana and get the hell out of here...”

Despite being a fair distance from the bodies, she could still smell the very beginnings of putrefaction settling into the air. Given that Zola was no longer using his magic to keep it at bay, the temperature in the palace had begun to rise, and the humid heat was all the more stifling. Her blasé attitude towards her injury in no way made walking with it any less agonizing. Without adrenaline coursing through her veins, the pain had time to settle deep in her brain. Perhaps due in no small part to the draconic blood coursing through her veins, the once gaping wound had mostly healed itself- at the very least, it was no longer gushing blood (and thankfully so as her sweater was already uncomfortably saturated). The skin still remained flayed, exposing dark red patches of muscles that contracted visibly with every step. It was best to not look down.

Finding the damned cellar was the hardest part by far. She assumed Takumi would have known where it was considering he had most likely been taken prisoner as well (how he alone managed to escape was a mystery for someone who care much more than she), but given his sleepwalking state and the fact that he barely seemed to realize where he was when Azura had sung him awake implied he probably wouldn't remember where he had come from either. And even if he _did_ , Nerr would have preferred to have her teeth pulled all at once than ask that miserable pile of suspicion anything.

Kaze's assumption that the Izumite castle was layed out similarly to the royal palace in Shirasagi paid off as he quickly managed to find a staircase that lead deep into the bowels of the manor. It wasn't anything like the cellars in the Citadel, that was for sure. Torches burning with natural fire cast a warm glow, unlike the enchanted violet flames that filled the lanterns back home. Shelves stacked high with sacks of food, dried fish, and jugs of what she could only assumed was alcohol surrounded a group of bound and gagged Hoshidans in what looked like the coziest jail cell ever conceived. Izana stood out even amongst the sea of white robes, his long hair and porcelain pallor making it appear as though he were glowing. Setting her retainers to deal with the castle staff, Nerr herself moved to undo the daimyo's bonds. He gasped loudly and coughed as she removed the wad of fabric stuffed into his mouth.

     “Oh! Thank the gods! If I had to go five more minutes without talking, I'd have exploded!” He gave her a beaming grin, his eyes squinted so tightly they appeared completely closed (or maybe he was just sleep talking). “You're my hero! Or should I say 'heroine'? I can never tell which is the proper nomenclature.” Behind her, she could hear Jakob muttering (to himself or another, she couldn't really tell).

     “ _This_ is the archduke? He's even worse than Zola--” Before quickly having his complaint cut off by a savage roar of “NOHRIAN FILTH!!!!” The scream sounded distinctly feminine, but it also sounded more than a little demonic. The sound of flesh hitting flesh soon followed, as well as a pained grunt and Gunther's sotto voice, “We'll just keep this one tied for now.” She shook her head to clear it, untying the daimyo's hands.

     “I'm no hero, Lord Izana- I'm just sorry you had to endure such cruelty at the hands of Nohrian sol-- ARE YOU AN ILLUSION!?” She put her hand around his throat, applying just enough pressure to keep him from moving. Dark eyes opened wide. She could hear footsteps coming down the stairs, but ignored them.

     “Wh-what????”

     “Nerr, what are you doing?! Let him go!!”

     “Are you Zola!? If you're Zola, you'd better fucking tell me before I cut your face off! You won't be fooling anyone then!!” The supposed Izana held his trembling hands up in surrender.

     “If you're talking about that creepy little rat mage, then of _course_ I'm not him! Look at this bone structure; that's courtesy of a divine bloodline. No illusion can look this good!” Scowling, the Nohrian princess leaned in close and pressed her nose to his neck, inhaling deeply. Incense, flowers, soap... no trace of acrid magic. Releasing the older man, she took a step back.

     “I apologize for acting rash, Lord Izana, but given that I've already met you under false pretenses once, I'd rather not repeat the experience.” To her surprise, the Hoshidan man didn't rebuke her. He simply laughed, as though she _hadn't_ just had her hand around his throat.

     “Oh, think nothing of it, deary. Once, I'd have said it's no better to be safe than sorry, but then I found myself being held captive in my own basement. I might have to rethink my whole 'open door' policy. Oh well, at least no one was hurt... uh.... probably-- oh, look! It's Prince Takumi! I was wondering where you ran off to!” Suppressing a shudder, Nerr turned around to see the Hoshidans standing at the foot of the stairs, Takumi indeed stood beside Sakura, looking pointedly away from the other captives. “I don't know how he managed to shimmy loose from his bonds, but I'd hoped he would pay it forward and maybe help us out as well, but he left in such a hurry I didn't even have a chance to ask!” The Hoshidan prince hung his head.

     “I apologize, Izana-sama. The truth is, I don't even remember leaving this place. I was here, and the next thing I know, I'm upstairs surrounded by _Nohrians_.”

     “ _Shooting_ at Nohrians.” Nerr snapped at him. “You were _shooting_ at us and trying to kill us. You were surrounded by the people who were trying to restrain you after you _shot_ at them.”

     “If you don't want to get shot, then maybe you shouldn't be here! Maybe you should go back to _your_ shithole country and stop ruining ours!!”

     “It looks like you don't need my help running this piss-soaked hellhole into the ground; how the hell do all your royals keep getting kidnapped!? You'd think after the first time it happened you'd get some common sense!” Takumi's fingers twitched, edging closer to the bow at his side. Jumping to his feet, Izana ran to block the boy, his arms outstretched.

     “Okay, okay; let's keep those itchy fingers where we can see them. Izumo is a peaceful kingdom... when death stuff isn't going on. There will be no rough housing, no horseplay, and _definitely_ no horse-housing on my watch. Now, why don't we all go upstairs and calm our nerves with a nice cup of tea... or wine. Come on, up we go~” He grabbed Takumi's shoulders and turned him around, all but forcing him back up the stairs. Nerr took a few hesitant steps to follow, stopping to look at Azura and gesturing up to the retreating white robes.

     “Is he supposed to be like this?”

     “Yes.” The singer responded simply. “Izana-sama has always been eccentric.”

     “Yeah, that's what you said when it was Zola, too...” She muttered under her breath.

000

The banquet hall was in shambles, with weapons and armor and soldiers strewn about. Izumo did not have a military force of it's own, but Izana was on friendly enough terms with neighboring duchies that they were more than willing to expedite what forces remained, agreeing to “deal with them”. Nerr was certain they would be executed, but speaking up would accomplish nothing. She had no political power. Garon had undoubtedly disowned her by now, and she could easily see word of any intervention getting back to Ryouma (wherever he was) and him personally heading out to kill every last soldier she could possibly save.

So the princess remained silent as the people who were once her own soldiers were bound and lead away, keeping her head down as they were taken to their death. Zola was amongst them, she saw from the corner of her eye. Sometimes she hated past-Nerr... She hid her hands beneath the low table they were all gathered around so no one could see how they shook as she pulled at her sweater's hem, ripping the seams. Hidden from sight, a large hand covered her own. When she looked up, Gunther still had his attention focused solely on the daimyo. She appreciated the gesture, though it did little to make her feel better. Izana was pouring a strong smelling liquid into his cup, downing it's content in a single gulp before refilling it again. It was the fourth time he'd done so. Only when he'd once again thrown it back did he actually pay attention to the people around him.

     “Now then. To what do I owe the honor of three of Hoshido's most beautiful daughters gracing my doorstep? I doubt you're simply out sight-seeing, especially with that nasty 'war' business going on?”

     “The war is precisely why we're here, Izana-sama.” Azura spoke gravely. “Or rather, our desire to stop it. We need to speak with Ryouma, but were informed that he may have gone missing somewhere near here. Since Takumi is here, we hoped...” She trailed off, and the older man frowned thoughtfully.

     “Hmmm... well, I can't say I've seen that charming lobster since he last visited with Mikoto-sama, gods rest her soul. There _was_ a skirmish east of here about... a week ago? I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same Nohrians who pooped our party. I assumed our strapping soldiers drove them back to the border because Takumi-sama and his retainers came from the west.” All eyes turned towards the prince, who was scowling so harshly at the table it was a miracle his face didn't freeze that way.

     “Where were you when you got separated from Ryouma?” Nerr asked.

     “Fuck off; I'm not telling you anything, anyan bitch.” A slam on the table caused everyone to jump. Sakura was standing up, both hands laid out flat on the table as she glared at her brother. Well... glare was a strong word- it looked more like an irritated pout than anything.

     “Nii-sama, this is not the time for you to be petty and childish! W-we've been worried sick wondering what happened to you and Ryouma nii-sama, and now that we finally have a chance to find out where he is, you act like _t_ _-t_ _his??_ ”

     “This is exactly how I _should_ be acting! It's how we _all_ should be acting! That Nohrian came to Hoshido and ruined everything! It's _her_ fault the war started! It's _her_ fault so many people are dead, and you're all just willing to overlook that!? Well I'm not! She killed my mother!!”

     “ _My_ mother is dead too!!” The younger princess shrieked at him, tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto the table. “She wasn't just _your_ mother, Takumi! Y-you aren't the only person who's sad and angry and scared! But you _are_ the only one who's acting like a baby about it! Nerrida nee-sama isn't the nicest person... b-but neither are you. She isn't trying to hurt us- we've been traveling with her for weeks, and neither she nor the Nohrians with her have done anything wrong. She and Azura w-want to help us, they want to help Hoshido, and they're doing more about it than _you_ are!!” Takumi, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout that entire rant, scoffed under his breath as he looked away, acting every bit the petulant child he clearly was. Nerr glared at him.

     “Listen Talk-To-Me, you don't have to like me. You don't have to trust me; I couldn't care less about your opinions if I physically tried. But _those_ ,” she gestured to Sakura and Azura, the latter of whom was rubbing the former's back in an attempt to comfort her. “Are your sisters. And I don't give the slightest fuck what you think about Nohrians; you've known Azura your entire life. She loves you for reasons I still don't entirely understand. So you're going to tell them where Ryouma is so we can find him, or I'm gonna tie the long hair on your head to the short hair on your ass and kick you down the street!”

     “Whoo! You go, girl!” All eyes turned back to Izana, who slowly lowered his arms, looking abashed. “...sorry. I, uh... got caught up in the moment...” The Hoshidan prince breathed roughly through his nose, still glaring hate at Nerr. She returned his ire with interest. After a tense minute, he directed his attention to the other princesses, Sakura specifically.

     “We _did_ drive the Nohrians back to the Chasm. We had them on the ropes, but from nowhere, Mokushuujin soldiers appeared. At first, we thought they had come to help _us_ , but then our soldiers started dropping like flies. I got separated from Ryouma in the chaos; I almost fell into the Chasm.” Azura's eyes narrowed at that piece of information, but she remained silent. “My retainers and I headed back to Shirasagi to tell Hinoka what happened and stopped in Izumo to rest. I didn't think the Nohrians would follow us back...”

     “So... you don't know where Ryouma nii-sama is...?” Sakura clutched tighter to Azura's dress, her hands shaking. “He could've been captured... o-o-o-or killed...” She began breathing hard, gasping for breath as she shook even harder. His angry demeanor falling away at once, Takumi jumped to his feet, scrambling over to his sister.

     “I-I didn't say that! I just said we got separated! Y-you know how strong Ryouma is; he could take on a hundred Nohrians! Just-Just calm down, Sakura, he's fine!”

     “Your brother's right.” Izana smiled serenely at the Hoshidan royals, an aura of calm emanating from him. Sniffling, the pink-haired girl wiped her eyes.

     “Wh-what...? How d-do you know that??”

     “Why, the gods themselves told me, of course! What's the point of being the heir to a divine bloodline if it doesn't get you a bit of first-hand info from the Powers That Be themselves? I might not have your fancy shmancy Dragon Vein powers, but prophecies are a nice consolation prize. So dry those eyes, my little sakura mochi; you have nothing to worry about.” A small, tremulous smile stretched out over Sakura's face, and she bowed lowly in the daimyo's direction.

     “Oh, th-thank you, Izana-sama!! Thank you s-so much!!” Azura breathed a sigh of relief, looking as if a physical weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

     “Well, now that we know for certain no ill fate has befallen him, we just have to hunt him down. It shouldn't be that hard- there aren't many places he could've gone near the border.”

     “We'd best avoid this Mokushuu; Leo said that's where Nohrian troops are stationed here.”

     “Th-there's a port town south of Mokushuu; m-maybe Ryouma nii-sama went there. Maybe in the morning we can--”

     “ 'We' can nothing, Sakura.” Takumi's voice was hard. “We're going straight back to the capital. Once we meet up with Hinoka, we can send more soldiers out to look for Ryouma.”

     “What? No! I-I want to go with Azura nee-sama and Nerrida nee-sama!”

     “They're traitors!!” He yelled at her, his body shaking with barely contained loathing. “They turned their backs on Hoshido, and if you go with them, you'll be doing the same thing!”

     “...no I'm not...” The younger girl whispered, her voice trembling. Azura frowned deeply at her younger brother.

     “Takumi, you know that I love Hoshido with all my heart. You know that I've no love lost for Nohr- how can you think I'd turn on my home?”

     “Because you left! I saw you!! You left with _her_ ,” He pointed an accusatory finger at Nerr. “And then you came back with even _more_ Nohrians after what they did. After what they keep doing, and _will_ keep doing until every last one of them is _dead!!_ If you aren't even loyal to us, how can we trust you!?”

     “Because everything I'm doing is to try and help you! I'm trying to help Hoshido! I only want this war to end, but you have to trust me. Please, Takumi-kun... please.” It took a long time, but little by little, the anger seemed to drain from his expression, until the Hoshidan prince just looked tired.

     “Even if I do trust _you_... I don't trust _her_. She's brought nothing but misfortune ever since she arrived in Hoshido. She made everyone miserable- especially Mother- and she doesn't even have the decency to feel bad about it! She didn't care that our father died for her; she didn't care that our mother died for her. She just ran straight back to their murderers! That anyan bitch is no sister of mine. I would rather die than help her!”

Nerr let his words wash over her, guilt gnawing at a tiny little corner of her conscience. Not because she felt bad because he spoke the truth; because she felt bad that she _didn't_ feel bad. She felt nothing for the Hoshidan emperor whom she didn't even remember, and while she truly wished her mother hadn't died as she did, she felt nothing for the woman who had kept her captive either. A voice in the back of her head told her that she should feel _something_ , but at present, all she felt was an ever increasing disdain for the prince that was supposed to be her brother.

     “Then die. You mean nothing to me, Hoshidan. We don't need you; _I_ don't need you.”

     “Whoa whoa whoa! Both of you need to calm down a little.” Izana's calm expression grew distressed. It was no wonder- the tension in the air was palpable. “There's sibling rivalry, and then there's... whatever you've got going on here... It's bad. I don't like it. Nerrida-sama, believe it or not, you _do_ need Takumi. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon enough you _will_ need him. Surely you realize that having more allies will only make things easier for you, not just battles, but general life stuff, too. The more the merrier, am I right?” He turned his attention to the prince.

     “And you, Takumi-sama... well, you just need to grow up, mister. Not everyone is out to get you. Life isn't plotting how to make you and you alone miserable. Lots of horrible things have been happening, and I know it's easier to just blame one person for everything than it is to acknowledge that sometimes, there isn't a singular enemy. But sometimes, there isn't a singular enemy. And even if there was, it's not Nerrida. You shouldn't need me to tell you that. I mean, the nerve of you, calling your sister an 'anyan bitch'; what would your mother say if she heard that potty mouth of yours?” A thoughtful silence fell over the table, and after a few minutes of that, the daimyo clapped his hands together in a self satisfied way. “Alrighty, now that we're all one big happy family again, you two shake hands and I can get to telling you about the Seal of Flames.”

     “Ew. No.”

     “Not with a ten foot naginata.”

     “Wait, what? What did you say about the Seal of Flames?” Azura cut off the others' disgusted protests, sitting up straight. Nerr only just realized those seemingly nonsensical words sounded familiar.

     “Oh, nothing; just some intel from the gods I'm supposed to pass down. That pretty little doodad you've got there,” He pointed to the Yato currently sheathed at Nerr's hip. “Comes straight from the tale of The Hero of Lore. From the gods' mouths to my family's ears for generations. Ha ha, I never thought I'd meet a Chosen One. I think I'm getting starstruck!” Climbing to his feet (and windmilling his arms to keep from toppling back over), Izana spun about and headed towards the door. “When asking the god about legendary stuff, one must show the proper reverence. They _love_ all that formal ceremony crap. So I'm gonna get that ready, and then we can see what fate has in store for you lot!”

She watched him saunter through the door, but the moment the he was gone, the Nohrian princess turned her back to both the door and the others, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. They were all whispering amongst themselves, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were talking about _her._ She didn't want to hear it. Closing her eyes only made the whispering seem louder, not enough to untangle the multiple voices overlapping, but more than enough to echo in her ears like flies buzzing inside her brain. She could see them, ascending in a dark cloud, then descending onto the bodies of all the dead soldiers she could have protected in a better life. Their blood would be permanently stained on the Izumite floorboards, an eternal reminder. Unless they just ripped them out and replaced them, throwing them in the trash right along with the bodies... The air grew ever so slightly warmer as a presence drew up to both sides of her.

     “My lady? What is wrong?”

     “Are you tired? Hungry? Say the word and I'll have a feast before you.” Nerr opened her eyes without thinking, focusing on the back and white and purple in her periphery as best she could without looking away from the silk wall hangings. She wished she could ask Gunther and Jakob if she could just curl up against them both and go to sleep, the way they used to huddle together in the kitchen for warmth during the winter when she was a child. That was such a simple time, when she only had to worry about being cold and hungry and what she would keep herself occupied with for the day... Forcing herself to smile even though it felt more like an awkward grimace, the princess shook her head.

     “No, I'm fine. But thank you for your concern. I'm just thinking.”

     “Ah, about your 'destiny'?” Even Jakob sounded scornful of the concept. “What nonsense. Fate only exists for worthless peons like us.”

     “That's not true.”

     “Of course it is, my lady.” Gunther acquiesced, sounded far less upset than she would have if someone had just referred to her as a “worthless peon”. “Our fate is to serve you. And truly, I can think of no kinder fate than that.”

     “Indeed, the gods have blessed us with so great a liege.” Despite herself, Nerr felt the heat rise in her cheeks as a smile tugged at her lips.

     “That's enough flattery from you two for one day. If you were trying to make me feel better... it worked. Thank you.”

000

Nearly a solid hour passed before Izana came back. Nerr had fallen half asleep when his excitable tone jolted her awake again.

     “You all can sleep later; don't worry, I've already had rooms made up for you and a veritable banquet is cooking as we speak. But for now, the gods are calling, and it's coming from inside the palace!” Utterly annoyed but knowing that it wasn't wise to be rude to one of the few known places that could offer her asylum, the princess stood up, dragging her feet as she followed the others down the hall.

The first thing that struck her was the overwhelming smell of incense. The moment Izana slid open the door, a thick cloud of smoke rolled over them, causing everyone (but him) to cough. Nerr's eyes burned something fierce as she tried to make her way into the room, her vision obscured by tears and cloying fog. The room they entered was much plainer than the one they had just come from. Shelves containing massive scrolls lined one of the walls. There were candles in tall iron holders in each of the corners of the room. Two women, most likely chambermaids, stood on either side of the door as they filed in. Izana took a seat in the middle of the room, where a low table containing a porcelain bowl stood.

     “So this is how you get your fortune told in Hoshido?” The Nohrian girl asked aloud. She had heard of scammers in Nohr, supposed witches who used cards and tea leaves to part the gullible from their money. Izana chuckled slightly.

     “No, I usually use a sand plate or a crystal ball- you know, the common tools of the trade. But this is no fortune I'm telling, princess. Here and now, I am but a vessel for the gods to deliver a message.”

Rolling his shoulders, the daimyo placed his hands on either side of the bowl, staring into it's depths. Standing on her toes, Nerr noticed that it was filled with water. No crystals or tea leaves- it wasn't even colored. What could one hope to see in plain water (besides their own reflection)? Silence filled the room, at least until the humming started. For a moment, she thought it was coming from Azura- the melody sounded hauntingly familiar, but a quick glance revealed the singer looking at Izana, her lips pressed into a thin line as her brows furrowed. The Hoshidan man continued humming, growing louder and louder as he began rocking back and forth like a metronome. A dazed look overtook his face, giving the impression that he had fallen asleep at the table, but as soon as his eyes fell shut completely, he opened his mouth.

 

“ _They'll sink into the ravine's darkness... Your uncertain heart will drift about in the endless abyss... Clinging onto a childish wish...”_

 

It felt like someone had punched Nerr from the inside. The ravine's darkness... that _couldn't_ mean the Infinite Chasm, but gods if it didn't sound like it did. She shot another glance at Azura, who was looking back at her with with just as perturbed an expression. After a few more long moment, the daimyo opened his eyes, smiling widely despite a weariness he didn't seem to have before.

     “And that's the gist of it!” Takumi scoffed loudly.

     “That's it? What a waste of time.”

     “Hey! Communing with a higher power isn't a science, it's an art. There are lots of times when they'll just give you a vision or a vague feeling and leave it up to you to interpret. This time, they had very exact words they wanted to pass on, so I suggest you take them to heart. And what they want to pass onto you directly, Takumi-sama, is that Princess Nerrida is not your enemy. You need to open your heart; holding onto hatred and loathing will only lead to tragedy.” There was a quiet sniffling from the corner. Sakura was wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

     “M-mother used to say something like that wh-when the Nohrians sent the Faceless...”

     “You see? Mikoto-sama relied on the gods' guidance just the same as I do, so if you won't listen to me, at least listen to her.” The white-haired man got to his feet, stumbling slightly and spilling some of the water in the bowel, but he didn't seem to notice it as he turned to face Nerr. “Now, I know I'm supposed to tell you about the Seal of Flames, but the only info the gods saw fit to pass on about it was this; 'Go to the dragon'.” She blinked several times, trying to wrap her head around that seemingly nothing statement only to come up empty.

     “Dragon? What dragon? Me, is it talking about me?”

     “I'm preeeetty sure they're not talking about _you_ , but what do I know? I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now, let's go to the banquet hall to cleanse our palates of all the horror and death and-- AUGH!!” The daimyo had only taken about two steps towards the door when he suddenly clutched his head, doubling over as his frail body shook. His servants were at his side at once, holding him upright.

     “Izana-sama?? What's wrong?!” Azura took a step closer, only to be brushed aside as he lurched forward.

     “Someone... really wants to... tell me something...!!” He screamed again, thrashing in agony. Blood, the deep crimson standing out against his pallor, dripped from his nose, staining his robes. The fit he was apparently suffering from lasted only seconds, but the fear it induced seemed to last for hours. Finally, his seizing stopped, and he collapsed into the arms of his servants. Sakura edged forward nervously.

     “I-I-Izana-sama?? Do you-- do you need me t-t-to heal-- to h-heal--??” He shook his head, eyes screwed shut against the pain.

     “No... ugh, stupid fucking visions...” He muttered under his breath before raising his voice for them all to hear. “Sometimes the gods _really_ need to send someone a message, and it usually involves _trying to kill them_. Thanks, gods. Ughh.... p-paper... I need paper. And some-- something to write with...” One of the servants jumped up, ripping a piece of paper from one of the scrolls one the wall and returning with it and a brush that must have also been on the nearby shelves. Rolling onto his side, Izana scribbled something onto the scrap of paper, blowing on it a few times before folding it into an uneven square and holding it out with a shaking hand. Takumi made to grab it, but the daimyo pulled it away quickly. “No, not you. You got your fortune. This is for the Chosen One.” Several pairs of eyes turned to Nerr, and she instinctively took a step back.

     “Oh, no. I'm not--”

     “Would you stop making a scene and just take the gods' damned paper!?” She jumped, the uncharacteristic anger in his voice startling her. She quickly took the paper, and made to open it, only to have a thin white hand close over hers. “No. Not now. Read it later.”

     “When?”

     “You'll know when... that's not me being vague; that's literally what the jerk god who just hit me with a carriage said.” He groaned again, curling up onto his side as he closed his eyes. His servants gasped in horror, shaking him slightly.

     “Izana-sama?? What should we do??”

     “Uhh... take me back to my chambers...”

     “Y-you're going to be alright, right?” Takumi asked, trying to keep his tone even but failing. Izana forced his eyes open with a great deal of effort by the look of it.

     “I dunno. Probably. Usually, these kinds of premonitions just mess me up for a while, though it's not unheard of for them to kill the receiver.” Sakura gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks.

     “N-no!! Pl-please don't die, Izana-sama! Please!!” He chuckled quietly, closing his eyes again.

     “I think I just need to take a nap. It could last a few hours... or a few years... I'm hoping for the former. I don't want to... lose my record... best hair in... Izumo...” He trailed off, his head falling to the side. Nerr's immediate thought was that he had died, but barely a second later, she noticed his chest rise and fall deeply. She sighed.

He was just asleep. He didn't die, and _certainly_ not because of her. She looked at the paper in her hand. All that trouble for _this?_ The urge to read it then and there was overwhelming, but he had been adamant she wait until “later”, whenever that would be. As horrible as their time in Izumo had been, at the very least, a bit of her doubt had been alleviated. The gods themselves seemed to acknowledge what was going on, and even deigned to pass on a hint. If only Leo had been here to bear witness to that fortune, or better yet, Xander. Of course, she could already hear her elder brother scoffing dismissively. He never had any patience for people who claimed they could see the future...

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- The writer's block was strong with this one, partially because, like the Fuuga chapter, I hadn't actually planned on writing it at all, but figured that there was some exposition that needed to be done (not to mention this is where get more characters. Can't forget that Fates keeps shoving those down your throat). I won't lie, I reeeeaaaaally felt like Izana dying in Revelation was almost as much of an ass pull as Mikoto dying in general- a way for lazy writers to try and add drama with the least amount of effort (which is why I borrowed from my FAVORITE TV show which showed the proper way to give a character visions). Killing characters we don't even get to know is not how you add tension, IntSys. Don't worry; I won't be killing anyone off for dramatic effect~ ...seriously, that's a lazy-ass cop out. I don't do that.


	8. One Step Behind

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Ch.8- “One Step Behind”

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Staying in Izumo when their host was comatose was an uncomfortable experience, to say the least. Being in the vicinity of Takumi and his retainers made the entire ordeal even more unpleasant. One of them, another samurai who wore his hair in a short topknot, actually seemed to be a somewhat decent human being, cheerful and respectful. The other... calling her a “human being” would've been an insult to humanity. Her face seemed malformed, given the unnatural way her lips twisted and the perpetual look of disgust she wore (an oddly... familiar expression, even so). Whenever Nerr looked in her direction, she bared her teeth like a feral animal. She was clearly suffering from some mental deficiency... It seemed _she_ was the one who had screamed in the palace's makeshift dungeon- made apparent as she did it again when Jakob made the unfortunate mistake of sitting too close to her at the table in the banquet hall.

     “Gods above, what's that thing's problem!?” Nerr demanded of Takumi as her steward nearly fell out of his seat in his haste to get away from the shrieking demon. The Hoshidan prince simply glared at her, clutching his eating sticks tightly enough to snap them.

     “She doesn't like Nohrians. Don't see how anyone can blame her.” Nerr inhaled sharply, trying to keep her composure.

     “And I don't like Hoshidans, but you don't see me screaming _my_ head off like I was raised by wolves. If your... whatever that is... can't behave civilly, then she doesn't need to accompany us.”

     “Oboro is my retainer. She goes where I go.” Takumi resumed eating, muttering under his breath as he did so. “Maybe if Nohrians weren't all murderous savages, people wouldn't hate them so much...” He must have assumed she couldn't hear him, given that they were quite far away from each other, but he was mistaken. Nerr slammed her own utensils down with more force than she had anticipated.

     “You may want to look in a mirror before you call someone a 'murderous savage', Takumi. There are a pile of corpses in the halls outside, and the majority of them are _your_ doing.” The younger boy flinched slightly, but there was nothing but anger in his voice.

     “Those were--!!”

     “Those were _people_.” She seethed. “Most of whom you murdered as they were running away from you and pleading for mercy while they watched their friends explode. You might not remember hearing them scream and beg, but _I_ do. You don't get to act innocent when you're just as bad as who you're condemning. Typical fucking Hoshidan...” Takumi opened his mouth, clearly intending to argue with her, but no words came out. A disquieted look flickered over his face before being replaced with anger once more. The prince got to his feet and stormed out of the room.

     “Takumi-sama!” His blunette retainer jumped up, chasing after him. The samurai stuffed a few more bites of food into his mouth before following suit. Azura watched them go, turning to give Nerr a disapproving look.

     “Was that necessary, Nerr? He wasn't himself--”

     “Bullshit.” She spat harshly. “If I found out I had been killing people while I sleepwalked, I'd have been horrified, even if they were Hoshidans. He has no remorse. He's _proud_ of what he did! Maybe Anankos had _something_ to do with it, but you can't tell me that wasn't 'himself'.” The singer sighed. She knew Nerr was right, but damned if she would just admit that.

     “Takumi's trust is tenuous at best- he's only putting up with us because of Izana-sama- and you're already working to tear it apart.” The Nohrian princess leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

     “So you would rather I just smile and pat him on the head when he kills people, then turns around and complains about Nohrians killing people? _That's_ what I should do?” She dropped her facetious tone. “I don't _care_ about his trust, Azura. He's nobody to me. He can't stop Hoshido's troops; only Ryouma can do that, so Ryoma is the only one I need to be civil around. Maybe _you_ don't mind letting him look down on you from his high horse, but _I_ do.” Azura huffed a sigh, but fell quiet. Nerr had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't because the singer agreed with her, but only because she didn't feel like arguing. Sakura, who had been picking at her food for the longest time, set her chopsticks down and placed her hands in her lap, looking down at them.

     “...do-- do you really believe that, Nerrida nee-sama?” She paused, halfway through trying to spoon rice into her mouth with sticks.

     “Believe what?”

     “That Hoshidans are just as bad as N-Nohrians...”

     “Yes.” She answered without any hesitation, managing to take a bite while only spilling a bit. The younger princess looked up, clearly distraught.

     “B-but...!! Nohr is the one who attacks _us_ and--”

     “For centuries?” Nerr asked, her voice slightly muffled from covering her mouth as she chewed. “Nohr and Hoshido have been at each other's throats since the First Dragons were still alive. You honestly believe that in _all_ that time, Hoshido never _once_ struck first, or did something underhanded? Your own brother just proved that isn't the case. Yes, Nohr attacked first _this_ time. Yes, Zola's soldiers shouldn't have been in Izumo when they had orders to leave- what they did, what they were planning to do was terrible- but when Takumi's hunting down people who are running away from him in terror, who are begging for their lives, is he _really_ the victim then?”

     “N-no...” Sakura looked down, her eyes dark. Nerr sighed a bit, setting down her food. What was left of her appetite had left her.

     “I'm not saying Nohr is blameless in this _at_ _all_ , Sakura. I'd be a fool of the highest order if I believed everything that's happened is justified... but I _am_ saying only a fool would believe Hoshido is the benevolent, perpetual victim you all claim it is...”

000

It would've been wise to rest considering they had to continue their journey to the border come dawn, but despite her body crying out for sleep, Nerr found her mind racing ceaselessly. The urge to read the fortune Izana had given her simply to occupy her brain with _something_ had been overwhelming, so she got up and tucked it into her sewing kit, beneath her half-completed kerchief. Resigning herself to already being up, she left her quarters, donning a robe provided by the Izumites while they laundered her clothes. The palace staff had worked through the night, cleaning and repairing the damage done by the battle that had taken place. Much of the paper covering the doors and windows had dissolved as Zola's ice melted, saturating every surface. As she wandered the halls, she came across several maids on their hands and knees, scrubbing dark stains that stood out against the grain of the wood. They stopped what they were doing, bowing to her as she passed. She nodded in acknowledgement, unable to tear her eyes away from the splotches. A small part of her wanted to tell them they were wasting their time. It was all but impossible to get blood out of... anything.

She thought back to her training gear, still in the closet back home. The dark linen and wool blouses that, despite years of washing, _still_ retained dark splotches. The waster whose hilt, under the rawhide wrappings, had darkened from the bloody blisters it had inflicted on her then-tender hands. The easiest thing to do would be to rip the floors out. But perhaps without Izana's express permission, they couldn't undertake such renovations. Shaking her head, Nerr followed the smell of fresh air until she found herself outside in yet another small garden. This one must not have been hit by the spell as it's trees retained their leaves. She sat beneath one of them, closing her eyes as she leaned against the trunk, feeling the rough bark dig into her back.

In a few hours they would leave Izumo. Hopefully _without_ Takumi and his retainers. She knew the daimyo had said she needed him, but quite frankly, that was bullshit. She didn't need a hateful, spiteful hypocrite constantly accusing her of being a traitor and murdering her own mother, amongst other things. If she wanted to feel guilty, all she had to do was be left alone with her thoughts for a few minutes. There was a quiet scraping as the door she was sure she had closed behind her opened again. Footsteps came closer, too quiet to come from a hard surface. She cracked one eye open as they stopped.

     “An odd place for a nap you've found.” The Nohrian girl gave a humorless chuckle.

     “Not for me. I've fallen asleep standing inside suits of armor before.” Azura made an amused noise, going quiet again. Insects buzzed and chirped. Back in Nohr, the cold would have killed everything aside from the sturdiest fleas and roaches. The singer lowered herself to the ground opposite Nerr, though she didn't break the silence for a while yet.

     “...why don't you believe in fate, Nerr?”

     “Because it's a stupid fairy tale for stupid people.” She answered without even thinking. “Fate is the excuse weak people use to feel better about horrible things happening to them.”

     “You really think that? ...when I first met you- _after_ getting over how awful you were- I thought to myself, 'it must be fate that we met'. Not just that I'm a princess of Nohr who was raised in Hoshido and you're a princess of Hoshido who was raised in Nohr... but that you discovered _that_ place. You knew it existed, you could go there. That we would be the two to know the truth about Anankos... it felt like fate to me.” Nerr's eyes had drifted shut, and she opened them again, staring at the blunette who, in turn, was looking up at the sky. She could make out a few stars, though they paled in comparison to those above the Citadel. The Nohrian princess scoffed under her breath.

     “Like I said; an excuse to feel better about horrible things. This- _all_ of it- is nothing more than cruel happenstance. I ended up _there_ completely by accident. And if I hadn't, you still wouldn't have anyone to tell the truth to.”

     “But you _did_. You went _there_ , and you were the one the Yato chose. A weapon of legend, one that has the power to fell gods--” Nerr got to her feet, however reluctantly. She had come out to clear her mind- the last thing she needed was even more dreck about destiny.

     “Stop telling yourself I'm something that's going to solve all your problems, Azura, because I'm not. I haven't been chosen for anything in my life except being King Garon's prisoner. The only thing that sets me apart from the likes of Xander and Ryouma is that I have so much less power than them. _They're_ the ones that are going to stop this war and help you put about an end to Anankos; I'm just a diplomat at best, and a foot soldier at worst.” Azura sighed deeply, turning her attention back to the sky. She took hold of her pendant, idly turning it, twisting the beaded chain.

     “I don't know if I'm relieved that you don't have a god complex, or disappointed.”

     “Why would you be disappointed?” She asked haplessly. Shouldn't it have been a _good_ thing that she wasn't acting like an arrogant prick with a messiah complex? She could only imagine if Leo had been told he had been chosen by a weapon fated to slay an evil god. He wouldn't have to worry about putting his clothes on backwards anymore as he would never be able to fit anything over his inflated head. She could only imagine that someone like Takumi would be worse. The singer looked down at her hands.

     “I'm not. Not really. Sometimes I just think it would be... better if you did. Not a lot; I don't want you to be more insufferable than you already are, but... I think it would help if you at least acted the part. A little bit. Regardless of what _you_ think, people believe you're the Chosen One. They think you're a hero, and maybe it would inspire more confidence if you _acted_ like that hero.” Nerr gripped her robes.

     “...but I'm not. I'm just a... nobody princess with a fancy sword.” She whispered, her voice faint to her own ears.

     “You could always pretend. It can't be _that_ hard. Even a god's prophecy seems to be about you.” She had been ready to walk back to her quarters and attempt to salvage at least an hour of sleep, but the singer's words gave her pause.

     “You mean that thing about the ravine? I assumed that was just proof to assure the others that we aren't crazy when we tell them to jump into the Infinite Chasm.”

     “As did I.” Azura stood up as well, moving to stand in front of Nerr. She was ever so slightly taller than the Nohrian princess. With her long hair and slender form, she looked like a wraith. “But then I thought about it. The way Izana-sama said it- it sounded like the song my mother taught me. But it's not- that's not a verse from it. It _almost_ sounds right.” She closed her eyes and began to sing.

 

     “ _A burdened heart sinks into the ground. A veil falls away without a sound...”_

 

The moment the first note left her lips, the lazuline stone in her pendant began to glow, but the light faded away as quickly as it came. Nerr shrugged.

     “So? Maybe the gods just decided to set their prophecy to a tune we could remember. Maybe it's just a common melody.”

That would make sense. Despite knowing she had never heard it before being brought to Hoshido, Nerr _knew_ she knew that tune. Not the lyrics, but the melody resonated deep within her, getting stuck in her head anew every time she heard Azura sing. She was positive she hadn't heard it in Nohr; it wasn't one of the lullabies Camilla sang to her, nor one of Xander's scores or Gunter's arias. Secretly, she wondered if perhaps her mother had hummed a similar tune when she was still young too young to actively remember it, but old enough that it left an impression on her psyche. Azura shook her head.

     “It's not _that_ common. I've never heard anyone but my mother sing it. I think that was for a reason- it must have something to do with that song. And that song... I think it may be about you, Nerr.” The Nohrian princess snickered.

     “A song about me. I'm flattered, really.” The singer's face gave no indication that she was nearly as amused.

     “It speaks of a double-edged blade, and I can't shake the feeling that it may be referring to the Yatogami.”

     “So? Royal regalia are centuries old- we aren't the first people to use them. Your song was probably written about the first person who used the Yato back during the first war. It has nothing to do with me.” The singer sighed quietly.

     “I hope not...” Feeling the uncomfortable conversation was over (and not wanting to “tempt fate” if it wasn't), Nerr headed back inside, waiting until she had rounded a corner and was assured Azura wasn't following her before exhaling sharply. It was a sad state of affairs when she longed for the simplicity of a simple war. No fate nonsense, no “Chosen One” haberdashery... just a clear-cut goal of “conquer Hoshido”.

It wasn't _fate_ that she had gone to Valla... it was a mistake. A horrible, horrible mistake she wished she could go back and not repeat. Even going back to the Citadel and not getting out of bed when Xander came seemed like a viable solution to her current situation. …how shameful. How disgusting. Wishing she could simply laze about in her tower whilst others gave their lives for a better world... Azura's words echoed in her mind, '... _inspire more confidence if you_ _ **acted**_ _like that hero..._ _'_ Maybe... maybe she wasn't _completely_ wrong. Nerr was a princess of Nohr, regardless of what Garon or any of the Hoshidans thought. It was her duty to lead by example. She was supposed to be braver, stronger, _better_ than her people, even if her people were just her retainers at present. They deserved better than some weak, whiny child. She would be better... at least, in the morning.

000

The Izumites saw the slightly larger group off with a blitheness that felt derisive to Nerr. Azura assured her that was not the case. The people of the holy duchy were just kindhearted and benevolent, and it was their nature to be gracious, especially to royalty. They didn't blame them for what happened to their daimyo. Well, at least _someone_ didn't. If one judged solely by the way he glared at the back of her head, Takumi probably blamed her for the very idea of death itself. Nerr had secretly hoped that the pigheaded prince would return to the capital, but rather than head back east, he and his retinue trailed behind them as they made their way west. A thousand things ran through her mind, many of them immature insults, but she chewed on the inside of her cheek to remain silent. It was fine, she told herself. After all, Sakura certainly seemed happy with the new addition, and even Azura smiled a bit more than usual.

She just had to put up with this until they found Ryouma, then she would have peace while she hunted down her eldest brother. That's what would happen and it would be fine. The clattering of armor behind her grew louder as Gunther fell in step beside her. He walked beside Caractacus, leading the charger by the reins. The Izumites had been generous, giving them ample food and water that would last them at least until they made it to a port, and the old war horse had become a beast of burden to help with the load. The sight reminded Nerr of all the times her retainer had gone to the capital for supplies, bringing them back laden high on the steed's back. She was drawn from her melancholy nostalgia by the low voice beside her.

     “What is it, my lady?”

     “Hmm? What is what?”

     “I thought perhaps you might be upset.” Nerr laughed dismissively.

     “What would make you think that?”

“The fact that you seem to be chewing what I can only assume are your emotions.” She clenched her jaw and swallowed, forcing her lips into a smile. It hurt her cheeks.

     “I think you're reading too much into things, Gunther. I'm fine. Maybe I wish we had a more exact location for Ryouma than 'I got separated from him at the border', but it's fine! We'll find him eventually.” ' _And then we'll ditch these ding-dongs...'_ A dull ache twinged in her side, causing her to lean into it slightly. A gasp behind her preceded Jakob rushing up, a Hoshidan-styled staff already in hand.

     “Are you alright, Lady Nerr? Do you need me to heal you again?” She lowered his hands, straightening.

     “No. I'm fine. Save our supplies for the next time we walk into a trap.” She wasn't lying- not this time, at least. Despite the size of the wound _Takumi_ had caused, it had mostly healed on it's own. Just like it was supposed to. Yes, it still smarted, and there was still a raw spot that Jakob had wrapped neatly, but considering the fate that befell others attacked in kind, she was more than grateful to only be subjected to a bit of discomfort. Pressing his lips into a thin line, the steward glanced over his shoulder, his already disapproving expression turning even more sour.

     “I still don't think we should have allowed _that_ Hoshidan to accompany us. If I'm not mistaken, _he_ was the one who attacked us at the border. Yesterday was only proof that he has no intentions of rectifying his attitude.”

     “I hate to say it, but I agree with Jakob.” Gunther kept his voice low so only they could hear it. “Hoshidans are known for their underhanded tactics. They'll kill themselves if it means thinning out our numbers. And even if he _is_ your brother by blood, _his_ kind don't change. They never do...” His voice trailed off towards the end, as though he were muttering more to himself than speaking aloud. The disdain in his tone sounded unnatural to Nerr. She frowned, following her steward's gaze. Takumi seemed to be listening to Sakura speak, but as though he could feel her stare, he looked up sharply, eyes narrowed. She threw a nasty scowl at him and turned her attention back to the road ahead.

     “It's fine. He won't do anything in front of Sakura. And if he gets it in his head to try, then we can't be held accountable for what we do in self defense.” Despite her voice sounding self-assured, she couldn't ignore the cold sensation slipping down her back. Azura had been adamant that the Hoshidan prince hadn't been himself, and that she had “gotten rid of” whatever Anankos (it had to be Anankos) had done to cause his “odd” behavior, but it was hard to shake the feeling that maybe she hadn't. Maybe that was why Izana had wanted him to travel with them; so someone could stop him if he went on another rampage. Glancing back quickly, the Nohrian princess made a mental note to keep a closer eye on him.

Heading south was long, slow, and arduous. Perhaps it was because, unlike their journey thus far, they didn't know exactly where they were going, only where they were avoiding. Mokushuu was a massive territory, according to Kaze. Normally, there would be no need to avoid it, but given Leo's warning that it may be teeming with Norhian soldiers, it seemed prudent to not stir up trouble.

     “Tch. 'Massive territory'...” Nerr was taken aback by Gunther's contemptuous muttering, but filed it away to ponder later. Despite the clear blue skies, she could smell water hanging in the air and informed the others. Takumi huffed.

     “What are you talking about- it's clear out. There's no rain coming.”

     “Then get drenched for all I care. Just don't complain to me when you get pneumonia.” She paid his aggravated mumbling little mind, looking around for a place where they could take shelter. She had no idea what rain was like in Hoshido. Was it a gentle drizzle that wouldn't slow them down, or was it akin to Nohr's torrential downpours that would wash away both roads and newly planted crops? Regardless, there seemed to be little in the way of shelter. They must have been miles from the nearest village, and all there was in terms of plant life were a few bosky areas. Far in the distance, she noticed a thicker grovewith a good amount of trees planted closely enough together to provide a semblance of cover.

     “That's the only shelter I see. We'll have to wait the storm out there.”

     “What storm?!” She ignored Takumi's cry, jogging towards the wooded area, hearing her retainers follow behind her. A quick glance back revealed Sakura and her retainers, as well as Azura and Kaze in hot pursuit. If the Hoshidan prince wanted to stay behind, he was more than welcome to. As she finally drew closer, Nerr realized that it was not a simple woodlet she had found, but an orchard. The trees were planted too evenly from each other to be natural. They weren't very tall, and while she could stand at full height, the taller members of their retinue (namely Gunther, Jakob and Tsubaki) had to stoop to avoid the lower branches catching on their hair. It was strange to think humans would go through the trouble of planting crops in the middle of nowhere, but it quickly occurred to her that perhaps this wasn't as desolate a place as she had first thought.

     “Azura.” She asked aloud. “Do you know if there are any villages nearby?”

     “I'm not sure. There _could_ be, but I've never been to any of the smaller settlements. I've only traveled to the cities in larger provinces.”

     “Th-there might be.” Sakura chimed in. “I-I thinking we're near Mokushuu's borders, a-and there are probably a few villages on the outskirts, j-just like with Shirasagi.”

     “Then maybe we should push on and--” Nerr was cut off by a loud crack of thunder that made her jump in it's suddenness. The sky only darkened slightly, but the light gray clouds proved more than enough for the deluge that followed. Takumi, who had still been several yards away with his retainers taking their sweet time, broke into a run, futilely covering his head with his arms as he was pelted by sheets of rain. Groaning in disgust as he reached the shelter of the tree line, he reached up to wring out his hair.

     “What the hell?! It was clear a second ago!”

     “It probably still is. After all; 'there's no rain coming'. Maybe listen when I speak; sometimes I _do_ know what I'm talking about.” The younger boy frowned at her.

     “A lucky guess doesn't mean you know anything.” His bitterness was almost amusing. He'd probably say fire was cold if she said it was hot just to be contrary. Wandering deeper into the orchard, Nerr looked up, blinking as she noticed something red stand out amongst the green. She had to shield her eyes from the drops of water that fell through the leaves, but she was certain she saw something there. Reaching up, her fingers met only with air. Groaning in annoyance, she tried jumping up but her reach fell short each time. Something large came up behind her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from it. Flushing slightly, she tilted her head back to see Gunther reaching over her head, his hand closing around the red orb with ease as he plucked it.

     “I take it this is what you were after, my lady?” He held his now open hand in front of her, a large apple resting in his palm, the speckled surface bright against his gloves.

     “...thank you.” She whispered, her cheeks burning hotter and making her feel like a fool. Taking the proffered fruit, she attempted to focus on it rather than the knight still standing very close to her. It wasn't _that_ close, she reminded herself, no closer than Xander or Flora would stand, but it _felt_ so close considering the old knight usually made sure there was at least an arm's length between them at all times. “I didn't know Hoshido had apples, too.” She mused, taking a bite. It was slightly mealy, probably due to being past season (she didn't see many more amidst the leaves, though several half-rotten ones lay on the ground), but sweetness still filled her mouth. It was such a different taste from the smaller, darker apples she gorged herself on at home, but close enough that her mind recognized them as being the same thing.

     “Hoshido has many of the same fruits Nohr does. Strawberries, pears- well, their pears are a bit different from ours.”

     “How do you--” Nerr turned, her mouth full until she noticed that she was spraying chunks of partially chewed fruit onto Gunther's armor. Nearly choking in her shame, she quickly forced herself to swallow, paying little mind to the pain in her throat as it worked down the too-large lump. “How do-- oh, that's right; you were here during the last war.” She answered her own question, feeling more than a little foolish for not having figured that out sooner. The knight nodded, looking past her, into the darkness of the woods.

     “Yes, but it's not as though I had the time to truly _learn_ anything about the place- I only know what we ate while we made our way inland. That was before Mokushuu became our allies. We wouldn't dream of being caught near Kouga's borders back then...” Nerr paused mid bite, her mouth hanging open unflatteringly.

     “Kouga? What's that?”

     “The area of Hoshido we're currently avoiding.” She frowned slightly. Perhaps it was simply because geography had never been a strong suit of hers, but she was fairly certain no one had ever mentioned any place called “Kouga”, and she voiced her her confusion.

     “I thought this land was called Mokushuu?”

     “It is. _Now_. Decades ago, however, Mokushuu wasn't nearly as large. The area we're currently skirting around was home to ninja that made our lives living hell back then. I can't say I'm not relived to know I'll never have to see them again.” The gears in Nerr's mind ground together as she tried to understand Gunther's seemingly purposeful vague wording.

     “I don't understand. Did this Kouga merge with Mokushuu?” Despite only half of his face still emoting (or perhaps because of it), the darkly pensive look on her retainer's face seemed even more off putting. It reminded her horribly of the way he had looked as they made their way to the border months ago, and she flinched slightly when he turned to face her.

     “Never let the Hoshidans convince you they aren't like Nohrians, my lady. The peace they preach is a lie; they're as covetous and spiteful as Garon. _Everyone_ with an ounce of power is the same, regardless of where they hail from.” Knowing he knew more details than _that,_ but not wanting to push him into a worse mood, Nerr fell silent, taking another bite to ensure she didn't accidentally say something she would regret. His words stewed in her mind, however, gripping it tighter and tighter. Dropping what remained of the core, she stared at it as it lay on the slightly muddy ground.

     “Am I like that as well?” At once, Gunther's face shifted back to normal, if not ever so slightly aghast as he quickly backpedaled.

     “Of course not, Lady Nerr! You are nothing like... _that._ ”

     “I thought you said ' _everyone_ with an ounce of power is the same'... though I suppose you're right. I have no power. No kingdom, no soldiers... I'm little more than a vagrant, pilfering food from villages...” She walked past her retainer, further into the orchard until the trees once again thinned out. All she could see in the distance were plains, the vast emptiness broken up by occasional bushes... and far, far near the horizon, rising above what may have been a canopy, a plume of thick, dark smoke. Nerr rubbed her eyes as the rain splashed into them. She must have been seeing things. But a second glance revealed that no, there really was smoke. A lot of it, coming not in a solid plume as she had first thought, but rather in large puffs. It looked so unnatural that she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight even as she called out behind her. “Gunther! Jakob, Azura! I think you need to see this!”

     “What is it, Nerr?” Azura came up beside her, and the Nohrian girl moved aside to let her see. She pointed to the odd sight.

     “That _is_ smoke, right? I'm not seeing things?” The singer frowned thoughtfully.

     “It _is_. Maybe it's from a smith?”

     “It's coming in an oddly specific pattern for a furnace.” Jakob sounded doubtful. Another body sidled up to Nerr's other side and she turned to see Kaze standing there, his brows furrowing more and more the longer he looked.

     “That's no furnace. It's a signal. One from my clan.” Sakura managed to squeeze herself between the taller bodies, looking around at the serious expressions those older than her wore.

     “Th-there are other ninja out there? Wh-what are they doing? Shouldn't they be in the capital? O-or at the border?” The green-haired man mouthed something to himself, his gaze never leaving the horizon.

     “It's Saizou. 'Enemy attack... outnumbered... can't hold lines... ...Stay away'.”

     “We have to go help him!” Everyone looked back to see Takumi marching forward, a determined look on his face. Kaze shook his head, his eyes downcast.

     “No, Takumi-sama. He's warning us to stay away for a reason. That's coming from Mokushuu's direction. Whatever is there is something he doesn't think backup can help with.”

     “And he's probably right.” Nerr said stiffly. It felt cruel to speak so coldly when Kaze's brother was probably fighting for his life and losing, but their resident shinobi had himself said there was no point in going. “If he went and got himself captured by the enemy, then there's no point in _us_ following suit. We'll stay here and see if the rain lets up and if it does, we'll keep traveling and get in a few more miles before night.” The young prince bared his teeth in anger, stomping up to her. Unlike Leo, who was quickly growing taller than her, Nerr could easily look down at Takumi. The difference in height didn't stop him from bearing down on her, fury burning in his eyes.

     “So you're saying we just stay here while Saizou gets killed- probably by Nohrians- only a few miles away?”

     “Yes.”

     “He's Ryouma's retainer!” The prince shoved her in his anger. Stumbling out into the rain, the teal-haired girl growled and shoved him back with both hands, knocking the prince to the ground.

     “That's Ryouma's problem, not mine! That miserable bastard wouldn't go running into an ambush for _my_ retainers, and even if he would, considering how many time that Saizou asshole tried to _kill_ me, I can't say I'll be shedding any tears over his corpse. We already know Nohrians are stationed in Mokushuu- that's why we're avoiding it, and why we're going to _continue_ avoiding it, you fucking idiot!” Picking himself up off the ground, the Hoshidan boy brushed off his leather fauld, putting his shoulders back as he raised himself to his full height. With deliberate (though very angry) steps, he marched past her, pausing only for a moment to look her in the eye.

     “You can be a coward just like the rest of your kind. _I'm_ going to go help Saizou.” With his bold declaration, Takumi set off into the rain.

     “Takumi-sama! Yo, wait for us!”

     “Takumi-sama!! Wait!!” His retainers took off after him at once (it didn't seem like an accident that the female one pushed Nerr out of her way as she passed), and rather than save him from his own stupidity and bring him back, they stayed behind him as he grew smaller and smaller.

     “He's going to get himself killed...” The Nohrian girl muttered to herself.

     “H-he's going to get himself k-killed!” Sakura ran up to her, her eyes wide with fear as she clasped he hands together in a silent plea. “Nerrida nee-sama, d-do something, please!!”

     “What do you want _me_ to do?” She asked, unable to hide her exasperation. “He won't listen to me. He won't listen to Kaze. I doubt he'd listen to Azura, or even you. Should I knock him out and tie him up?”

     “I-I don't know...” The girl began pulling at the hem of her skirt in distress. Azura approached her, and the younger princess wrapped her arms around her sister at once, burying her face in her skirt. The blunette looked at Nerr, her expression tight.

     “I think we should go with him.”

     “Into certain death!? Are you fucking crazy!?”

     “The enemy we are facing can't be beaten if we don't have allies, Nerr.” Azura stated darkly, earning a humorless laugh from the other woman.

     “And he sure as hell can't be beaten if we're all killed in a _very_ avoidable skirmish. The person Takumi is trying to save is very clearly telling us NOT to go save him!”

     “Would you want to save him if he was a _Nohrian_ soldier?” The singer asked bitterly. Nerr didn't respond at first, clenching her teeth, and Azura pressed on. “It wouldn't be 'very avoidable' if it was someone _you_ cared about, now would it?”

     “...of course not. Of course I would risk everything to save someone who actually _mattered_ to me. But I don't extend that courtesy to people who have tried murder me more than once. That means Saizou, and that means Takumi.” Both women stared at one another for a long time, the tension between them palpable. If Azura thought she was going to guilt her into caring, she was extremely wrong. A high pitched squeak, like an angry kitten, drew their attention away from each other and down to Sakura, who had pushed herself away from the singer's legs.

     “I-if you're not going to help nii-sama, then I a-am! T-Takumi!! W-wait for me!!” The young girl took off running, her short legs surprisingly fast.

     “Sakura! Wait!!” Azura bolted after her without a second glance back. Nerr watched them go, tugging on her ponytail in frustration. _'Idiots...!'_ She screamed mentally. Everything, _everything_ they did seemed designed to test the extent of her patience. Maybe this was a test by the gods. To what end, she had no idea. Maybe to see if she would be a good mother, or a good princess, or...

     “Nerr-sama?” She blinked, not even realizing Kaze was still there with her and her retainers. She had half expected him to be the first to go running after Takumi.

     “Why are you still here?” She asked, her tone more brusque than she may have wanted. The ninja frowned, perplexed though she saw no reason for his confusion.

     “What do you mean?”

    “I mean, why haven't you gone with the others to save your brother?” He sighed quietly, his face once again becoming stoic.

     “One of the first things a shinobi must learn is to separate them self from their feelings. Death is an inevitable part of this trade, and we must not let it interfere with our duties. Even the life of a family member is not as important as the life of one's master. I have chosen to cast my lot with you, Nerr-sama; I follow your judgment.” Nerr felt her stomach turn despite herself.

     “That's repugnant. Hoshido has a messed up idea of what constitutes as 'honor'.”

     “If I'm not mistaken, it's rather similar to a Nohrian knight's code of 'shivalry'.”

     “No, it's not!” She snapped. She could never, _ever_ imagine Xander putting a mission above Elise or Leo's well-being. He was brave, and just- a paragon of everything she always wanted to be... “Ugh...” She groaned loudly, dragging her feet in the direction the others had disappeared in. “What the fuck are you doing, Nerr; you're going to get yourself killed...!” ' _Shut up,_ _me_ _; you think I don't know that..?_ _'_

000

The rain only grew worse as Nerr tried to catch up to the others, fat, cold drops of water blinding her and washing away every scent but that of the damp earth. How did they even get so far in so short a time? Perhaps Takumi was more adamant about saving the angry ninja than she had given him credit for. Up ahead, just over a gentle incline, she could see thin plumes of smoke that seemed too close to have been from the signal. The wet ground under her bare feet left her slipping more than once, but she somehow made it to the top of the hill. She thought to scan for the others, but her gaze was drawn to the smoldering ruins below her. Piles of blackened wood framed muddy dirt lanes, the remains of some of the larger support beams still glowing red in places where the rain couldn't yet reach.

     “Lady Nerr, why did you--” Jakob had been the first to catch up with her, his concern immediately overtaken by horror as he followed her gaze. Kaze audibly gasped as he took in the destruction.

     “What happened here?” Nerr had no answer, only the realization that the orchard they had taken shelter under probably belonged to this village. She spotted Azura near the rubble, her white clothes a stark contrast to the charcoal that surrounded her. Half running, half sliding, she dashed through the puddles, nearly falling over in her haste to stop suddenly. A body lay face down in the mud, the rough hewn garb it was clad in the same color as the earth below it. She hadn't even seen it until she'd nearly stepped on it. Several arrows protruded from the peasant's back, the blood that had soaked into the cloth almost all washed away.

     “Nerr!” She tore her eyes away from the corpse, forcing herself to not pay attention to her periphery as she walked (slowly this time, slowly and very carefully) towards the singer.

     “What happened?” She asked, her voice little more than a whisper. It felt... wrong to speak loudly, surrounded by the death of innocents. Azura shook her head, looking visibly pale as wide golden eyes scanned the wreckage.

     “I-I don't know. It was like this when we got here. We've been looking for survivors, but... there aren't any...” A crash drew their attention, and they saw Takumi pushing a pile of burnt wood out of the way as he stormed over to them. His clothes and face were smudged with soot.

     “We know exactly what happened here!” He seethed. “The Nohrians came through here. They destroyed everything and killed everyone, just like they always do...! And you have the audacity to act as though we can end the war peacefully. _This_ is what Nohr does to peace!”

     “Nohr would never do anything like this!!” Nerr found herself shouting, even as she remembered Shirasagi. The look Takumi gave her indicated that he was thinking the same thing, and she cast her eyes downwards.

     “You're right, my lady. This isn't Nohr's doing.”

     “Huh?” She looked up as Gunther walked up beside her. He was looked around, not with the shock and revulsion the others displayed, but rather, with a strange, muted fury. The Hoshidan prince met him with a glare.

     “What, so this village just burnt itself to the ground? I thought anyan scum was supposed to be proud of all their 'conquests'?” Gunther ignored the boy's ire, walking over to a smoking pile and shifting the debris.

     “I will be the first to admit that Garon has an unhealthy fondness of the scorched earth approach, but _this_ is not his work. At least, not directly.” With a slight grunt of effort, he pushed aside a larger piece of timber. Nerr cautious moved to look over his shoulder, wishing she hadn't. He'd uncovered the half-burnt body of a young woman, her clothes and hair burned away to reveal the blackened skin beneath. To her disgust, her retainer knelt and reached down, pulling something from the body. She tried to look away, but a morbid curiosity kept her eyes stuck fast to the strangely shaped dagger he held up. “Forgive me if you're actually visually impaired, Lord Takumi, but I think you'd have to be blind to think _this_ is a Nohrian weapon.”

     “What is that thing? Some kind of kunai?” The Hoshidan prince snatched it away, his brows furrowed as he stared at it. Drying blood crusted the blade, a bit of it still tacky enough to stain the boy's gloves. It looked just the the kinds of daggers she had seen Kaze and Saizou use, save for bright red tassel tied to the end of it's handle.

     “It's a Mokushuujin weapon.” The green-haired ninja called out to them, standing up from another pile of wreckage. His gait was much more unsteady than it had any right to be, and Nerr could see his hands visibly shaking as he held them out, revealing several metal disks with serrated edges. Blood and chunks of ash-coated meat clung to their teeth. “These are weapons unique to the clans of Mokushuu... this is _their_ doing.”

     “That's crazy!” Takumi's retainer exclaimed, her usual expression tinged with unease. “Mokushuu is a Hoshidan province! Even if they're harboring Nohrians, they wouldn't kill their own people!”

     “Would and have. This isn't the first time they've turned on their neighbors.” Gunther got to his feet, looking up at the sky as lightning illuminated the clouds in the distance. “And I doubt it will be the last. This ninja we're looking for is most likely dead at their hands. I suggest we cut our losses and leave this place before they catch wind of us.”

     “L-look!!” Sakura pointed over their heads, towards a thick canopy further in the distance. Despite them being closer, it was fainter than before, but puffs of smoke were still visible against the gray sky. “I-it's Saizou-san, right?”

     “It must be.” Kaze frowned deeply as he stared at the smoke. His lips moved silently and he shook his head. “Now he's saying 'enemy retreated. Serious injuries. Requesting aid'...”

     “So he's still alive!” Takumi wiped his hands on his trousers, determination set in his youthful features. “We have to help him before they come back; he might have information where Ryouma is!”

     “Takumi-sama, wait!” The ninja called out as the younger man ran off, his retainers in tow. Heaving a sigh, he let his outstretched hand drop along with his head. Tentatively, Nerr touched his arm.

     “What is it?” She whispered. “This is good, right?” He shook his head, drops of water flying off his hair.

     “No. I know my brother- if he were injured, he would never send a distress signal. If he couldn't make it back on his own, he wouldn't come back.” The distrust, the pain in the Hoshidan man's voice resonated in her core. He was certain his brother was dead, and this was a trap. What a terrible feeling... Biting her lip, the Nohrian princess inhaled deeply, standing up straighter.

     “...maybe he isn't alone.”

     “What?”

     “Wouldn't Ryouma have at least two retainers? Perhaps they're together- perhaps he's with other soldiers and it's not _him_ who's injured. Unless that one-eyed freak would also leave others to die, in which case you're right, this is a trap and we _do_ need to cut our losses.” Kaze shook his head, bemusement writ on his face.

     “No. Saizou would never leave a man behind. That never even occurred to me... it very well could be that he's with Kagerou.”

     “Then it won't hurt to take a bit of a closer look. Just to be sure.” The ninja nodded, his serious expression faltering for the briefest moment as a slight smile curved his lips.

     “Thank you.” He whispered, quickly turning and running off after the Hoshidans. Armor clattered softly behind her.

     “Do you _truly_ think this wise, my lady? This whole situation reeks of a trap.” Jakob's voice was equally bitter.

     “We could just leave them here and now and continue our journey to the border. We could probably get there in a few days at most without the Hoshidans to slow us down.”

Nerr had already taken a few steps forward when she stopped. Not because of their words, but because of something soft that had squished in the mud under her foot. Swallowing her fear, she looked down, breathing a sigh of relief as she noticed it was only a doll before her breath caught in her throat. Kneeling, and paying no mind to the cold that soaked into her tights, the princess lifted the filthy toy out of the mud with a reverence one might have for a priceless vase. It was crudely made, a simple human form sewn of sacking with hair that seemed to come from an animal and beady eyes of knotted string.

A child's toy, belonging to one of the children whose body must lay under decimated remains of homes. She had played with similar, albeit better quality dolls when she was six or seven. She remembered Elise clutching that kind of doll when Xander had brought her to visit for the first time, a tiny little girl of only four. Nerr closed her eyes, the cold of the rain doing nothing to alleviate the burning behind them. As gently as she could, she sat the doll down against the charred wood, wondering grimly if it had come from that house, if perhaps it's owner was right there, laying only feet from her. Getting to her feet, she unsheathed her sword, not willing to be caught unawares by the kind of beasts responsible for _this_.

     “We can ditch the Hoshidans later. I need to see what these Mokushuujin are like with my own eyes.” She wanted to see what other kind of monsters Garon had cast his lot in with.

000

The trees were thicker together than in the orchard, an ancient forest whose ground was almost dry. The dense canopy let in little rain, but it also let in little light, resulting in a gloom that was unnatural for Hoshido. It took a few minutes, but Nerr's eyes adjusted quickly to the point that it was no different from walking around in the light. The Hoshidans all seemed to be having a bit of trouble navigating, which was probably the only reason she and her retinue caught up with them so quickly. Sakura and Azura stood out the most in the darkness, their white clothes reflecting what little light was available easily. The younger princess clung to her brother's arm, her head darting back and forth.

     “This place is practically a maze... there's no way we can see where we're going.” The pegasus knight mused despondently. “If only we had a bit of light.”

     “Oh!” One of Takumi's retainers (what was his name? Hi-something?) exclaimed, his excitable voice a bit too loud for the acoustics of enemy territory. “You can use magic, Sakura-sama. You can use a spell to give us some light. Maybe set something on fire!” His companion cuffed him sharply over the back of the head.

     “You want to start a fire _in a forest?_ A forest _we're currently IN!?”_

     “Oh yeah, that might be kind of dangerous...”

     “U-um...” Sakura looked down at her feet, clinging tighter to the dirty blue sleeve. “E-even if I wouldn't have to worry about burning down the forest, I-I don't have any scrolls. M-my magic isn't strong enough to use without them...” Azura crossed her arms pensively, before suddenly looking up. Her eyes gleamed unnaturally in the darkness (though maybe Nerr was the only one who could see that).

     “I think I might be able to help.” Closing them (thank the gods), the Hoshidan princess held her hands up, framing them around her pendant. She began humming, the same melody she always sang. For a moment, there was nothing, but then the sliver set within it's gilded scrolls lit. The tiny speck of blue didn't provide much light, but when reflected upon the silvery drops of water that floated around her, it cast beams of light that danced over the tree trunks.

     “That's good enough.” Nerr stepped forward, looking around. The extra light revealed a section of grass that had been tamped down. “Someone was here. And it looks like the trail leads... north. Everyone, arm yourselves.” She half expected Takumi to scoff and tell her that he wouldn't be following a Nohrian's orders, but the prince unhooked his bow, flexing his fingers around the carved riser. Surprised but not about to question it, she took the lead alongside Kaze, with Azura close behind them to provide light. The path they followed looked like more than individual footsteps- it was too wide, too even for that. The green-haired man's expression grew more disconcerted the further in they went.

     “These are drag marks. And look.” He pointed to one of the tress. Near it's roots, a large chunk of bark had been knocked off. “I'd say someone was putting up a struggle as they came this way...” A rustling behind them drew Nerr's attention and she turned just in time to notice a shadow dart behind one of the trees and a glint of silver cut through the darkness. A cry of pain went out and Hana dropped her sword to clutch her arm.

     “What the hell!?” Even from where she was, the princess could see the tassel fluttering at the end of the kunai and gripped the Yato tighter while shoving Azura's hands away from her necklace with the other. With her music interrupted, the light cast by it was extinguished.

     “Nerr, what are you--?"

     “Keep quiet. That light is giving away our position.”

     “I think our position is already compromised, my lady.” Unlike the Hoshidans who looked around wildly in a darkness their eyes could not penetrate, Gunther's scan of the trees was calculated. “The Mokushuujin know we're here. Thankfully, they've given away their own position as well.”

     “That was only a scout.” Kaze pulled out a dagger of his own, even looking up to the branches high above their heads. “There would be no warning shot, and no trained ninja would miss such an easy target. More enemies will be heading this way.”

     “Then we need to get out of here. We'll go around. Everyone, stay close to one another and keep your backs together. We don't need these bastards sneaking up on us anymore than they already can.”

Huddled together, the group made their way westward. It was nerve wracking, being such a large, conspicuous target that moved so slowly, but the threat of being picked off one by one without noticing was greater. In the shadows, they could hear rustling, swift feet running past, getting into position. Nerr flexed her fingers on the hilt of her sword, her hands sweating in her gloves. She expected a knife or arrow to come whizzing towards her face at any moment. A twig snapped, and she whipped her head to see where it had come from. A ninja clad in dark browns and reds ran past them, blending into the shadows so much easier than the Hoshidans with their bright colors. She tensed, waiting for him to notice the intruders and change direction, but he never did, vanishing behind the trees.

     “Where's he going?” One of the Hoshidans asked behind her. Kaze's voice was a tight whisper.

     “To a greater threat...” Faster now, they followed the Mokushuujin's path. Faint but assuredly there were the sounds of metal striking metal, gasps and grunts. Holding a hand up to stop the others, the Nohrian princess crouched down, walking slowly over to a clump of bushes. Heart hammering in her throat, she peered through the leaves. A pair of people stood in the middle of a sizable clearing as soldiers surrounded them. Frost caked the ground around them as one of the two launched a gust of ice magic into the soldiers, most of them dodging, though a few cried out in pain. Nerr squinted slightly- that spell looked familiar- and pressed her lips together as she recognized the mage who had apparently been her mother's retainer. Her mauve hair looked dark gray in the gloom of the woods. And beside her stood the red-headed ninja who doggedly seeked her death. Inhaling sharply, she returned to the others.

     “Saizou is there, and he's fighting with that purple-haired mage.”

      “O-Orochi-san's there too?” Sakura squeaked. Azura put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

     “Don't worry- if Orochi is there, Yuugiri must not be far behind.”

     “And there are probably more of our soldiers out there too! We've got to help them!” Takumi adjusted his grip on his bow and confidently marched forward. Nerr grabbed him by his scarf and pulled him back.

     “We're severely outnumbered!” She hissed. “We need to find their commander and--” Her eyes widened as a shadow, darker than the rest, grew larger. Gasping, she shoved the prince to the ground as an arrow flew through the air where his head had been.

     “There are more over here!!” In the almost silent woods, the cry sounded even louder, as did the stampede drawing closer to them. Azura took a few steps back instinctively.

     “What do we do...?”

     “We take them head on!” The pink clad samurai said self-assuredly, her sword at the ready.

     “No. They will overwhelm us like that. We need to bait and separate them. We'll keep our distance, and use the trees as cover so they can't flank us so easily.” Gunther's tone was confident, almost blasé. Of course it would be- how many times had he fought in skirmishes just like this? Nerr found his commanding tone very reassuring- finally, _someone_ who knew what to do. _Someone_ who could give orders that she could just follow. Despite the impending battle, she relaxed a bit. She was the only one, it seemed. Takumi picked himself up, dusting the dead grass from his fauld as he glared at the other man.

     “Why the hell should we listen to you? You're probably telling us the exact opposite of what we should be doing to get us killed!”

     “Takumi... You know I care about you, but...” Azura approached the younger boy, grabbing his shoulders and dragging him closer. “You need to bolt your howling screamer. We're fighting in an actual _war_ now, and you're arguing that we shouldn't listen to a _war veteran?!_ None of us knows anything about actual combat against trained soldiers except for Gunther, so now would be a good time to listen to him!”

     “Damn straight.” Nerr piped in, ushering the singer behind her. “Azura, you and Sakura get in the back with Jakob, Takumi and Kaze- they can pick off enemies with a quick volley. The rest of you are on the front lines with me. Do _not_ break ranks- we want the enemy to come to us, not the other way around.”

     “I'm impressed, milady.” Jakob sounded mildly amused as he took his place just behind her. “You actually sound like a ranking officer.”

     “Hey, I wasn't reading all those treatises on tactics just for the pictures...”

     “They're coming!” Hinata's startled cry was almost immediately covered up by the roar of battle cries. No less than a dozen Mokushuujin burst out from the shadows. A barrage of throwing knives and stars rained upon them. Nerr raised her makeshift buckler to protect her face, ignoring the stinging burn of those that grazed her arms. The assault stopped too quickly considering she could still hear the blades hitting the surrounding trees... and bouncing off metal. Hesitantly lowering her shield, she was confronted by a much larger one. Beneath Gunther's pavise, she could see sandaled feet drawing closer and closer... She took a few steps back, as did those around her and the enemy pressed forward again. The clattering stopped and the shield was dropped.

     “Now!!” She screamed, lunging at the nearest ninja as he reached for another handful of those damnable stars. He had no time to react as the Yato's blade sank deep into his arm, shattering the bone it met, nearly cutting through it entirely. He cried out, backing away but not far enough. As the princess moved onto another soldier, a silver knife, far larger than those belonging to the Mokushuujin, cut through the air, lodging in the soldier's throat. He gurgled, grabbing the handle and pulling it out, only to have a thick tide of crimson pump out, staining his entire chest before he fell back onto the damp ground.

The Mokushuujin that were still standing stumbled over those that had already fallen amidst the rain of blows. Hana and Hinata ducked and wove between smaller blades as they slashed at unprotected torsos. Oboro and Tsubaki had longer reaches with their lances, the latter neatly stabbing a mage in the belly, ripping the flesh open to an ear shattering shriek of agony as the muscle split. A beam of pale green light illuminated the entire clearing, hitting one of the soldiers square in the chest. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered everything nearby as the arrow detonated, the resulting gust knocking away anyone who was nearby. What was left of the mage collapsed into a twitching pile. When there were no more shinobi standing, the few that parried attacks long enough retreating back to the shadows, Nerr jogged back into the trees.

     “That's enough! More are coming. We need to fall back!”

     “But we've got them on the run!” Hana whined. The Nohrian girl scowled at her.

     “That wasn't even half of the soldiers I saw surrounding What's His Face and the Other One. They'll be back with reinforcements. We're falling back _now!”_ Despite looking thoroughly miffed, the samurai didn't argue, shaking the blood from her sword and trotting back into the trees. Reforming their back-to-back formation from before, the group slowly picked their way further in. Nerr ground her teeth together as she wracked her mind, trying to figure out where their commander could be. He had to be close enough to give orders, but the woods were huge, and they had no idea just how many soldiers were there. There was a quiet gasp behind her, and Nerr looked over her shoulder to see a head of green hair breaking away from the group. “Kaze! Come back here!” She half whispered, half yelled, but the ninja paid her no mind, gripping his dagger tightly as he ran right towards the clearing where his brother stood.

She bit her lip, fully expecting him to charge into the fray and be set upon like a rabbit in a den of wolves, but (not for the first time) the shinobi proved himself to be more rational than most Hoshidans. He stopped short, using his momentum to hurl the kunai with all his strength. There was a cry of pain, and despite her own warning, Nerr took a few steps to see what had happened. A man sat upon the same hideous nightmare beast Yukimura rode had been approaching the Hoshidans in their midst, an arrow drawn judging by the silver bow that slipped from his hand as he slumped forward, falling off the automaton in an unceremonious pile.

The other Mokushuujin looked around for the source of the attack, only to cry out in pain themselves, covering their heads with their hands. She couldn't understand what was happening until she noticed one unfortunate soul jolt as an arrow lodged in his skull. Several more victims were felled by- one would assume- the same mysterious archer. It couldn't be Takumi- the people hit weren't exploding, and besides, the arrows were raining down from above. A bestial squawk echoed throughout the forest as a shadow cast over the clearing.

     “Ahh... Invigorating~!” A massive... creature... it's golden plumage almost glowing, landed beside the Hoshidans, and it's rider jumped off. They whirled around, bow drawn, and let loose another arrow directly into the face of a Mokushuujin who thought to charge. By that time, everyone had broken position to look, wide smiles stretching over their faces.

     “Yuugiri-san!”

     “Ha ha! Looks like we aren't outnumbered anymore!” Before Nerr could yell at them to shut up before they gave their position away again, the red-clad shinobi had already noticed. Half of them continued their battle against the trapped Hoshidans (and their newcomer) while the rest made their way towards the trees. The princess swore under her breath, turning towards the others.

     “You all, get down! Jakob, Kaze, Takumi- open fire!” What she wouldn't have given for a squad of archers, but fortunately, the barrage of knives and shuriken were enough to catch the enemy off guard. Those that were quick enough to duck were sent flying by Takumi's arrows, and those brave (or foolish) enough to get back up and press onward found themselves set upon by a whirlwind of blades.

A samurai parried Nerr's swing, getting in close enough to rake his blade across her legs. The curved steel cut deeply into her flesh, and as she stumbled, he brought the sword down onto her neck. It came a hair's breadth from her skin, the blade instead sinking into the wooden haft of a lance. The Mokushuujin paused for only a second, confused, but it was a second too long. Gunther twisted the lance, snapping it in half at the break, and drove the splintered end into the other man's face. He cried out as chunks of wood broke off into his flesh, blood dripping freely down his nose.

Forcing herself to stand, Nerr charged into him, using her tiny shield as a battering ram. The samurai stumbled back, trying to regain his balance even as he fell. The ground sagged beneath him and he screamed. For too long a moment, it seemed that he was crying out for no reason, but as he writhed, the princess noticed wooden stakes, each about an inch across, protruding from the dried grass. As the man tried to get up, he unwittingly put his hand atop one, and the pressure drove the sharpened point in further. Biting her lip, Nerr tried to ignore the hot wetness soaking into her tights as she took a few steps back, winding up. Gunther looked at her even as he smashed his shield into the face of a disarmed archer, fearful concern writ across the lines there.

     “Lady Nerr, what are you doing?!”

     “I don't know!” She cried out honestly as she ran, leaping onto the body. The samurai's anguished cries made her sick as he sank down, but she told herself this was necessary. There were bodies littering the battlefield, some completely still, others still moving weakly from side to side.

Grimly, the princess remembered coaxing Jakob into following her ages ago as she jumped from one piece of furniture to another, pretending the floor was fire, when she was bored of playing with her imaginary friends. How sickeningly amusing that such a childish game would come back to haunt her on the killing fields. Making her way from one body to the next, thrusting the Yato into anything that came too close, she managed to make her way near the center where Saizou was currently slashing the face off of some poor bastard. It occurred to her _this_ was probably the reason he hadn't simply tried to make a run for it.

     “Saizou!!” She called out. Wrenching his blade out of a mage's side, the ninja looked around for the source of the voice, his brows furrowing as he spotted it.

     “ _You...!”_ He hissed. “What are you doing here!?”

     “Huh? Saizou, what's--? Princess Traitor!” Orochi cut the spell she was casting short, following his gaze as her own expression turned from fear to anger.

     “Be mad at me later! We're here to rescue you now!”

     “Who is 'we'? More Nohrians?”

     “Your fucking brother, you idiot! He's the only one who actually cares if you live or die!” Half of his face was hidden by his ridiculous mask, but the upper half was overtaken by surprise.

     “Kaze? No, he should've known better--”

     “He did, and we ended up here anyway! Talk later! Follow me!” She had done her best- it was up to them if they wanted to let themselves be saved. Considering the tempestuous ninja had attempted to kill himself once before if it meant killing her, it was entirely within the realm of possibility that he would rather die than allow her to help him. Honor before reason, and all... As she made her way back to the (relative) safety of the trees, a blur of black and red rushed past her. She had nearly driven her sword into it, assuming it was another Mokushuujin before she noticed the bright crimson hair. Behind her, Orochi seemed much less eager to follow, tiptoeing across the bodies, looking as though she would vomit at any second. They were nearly back when the mage stopped turning around.

     “Yuugiri!! Come on!!” Nerr had only just noticed the other woman had not followed them. She remained in the clearing, lackadaisically picking off enemies with her bow. Once or twice, one of them would attempt to sneak up on her from behind, only for her... steed... to drive them back, beating them with it's massive wings. Not even lowering her bow, the royal retainer glanced over to them. Even from a distance, Nerr could see the disappointment on her face.

     “But I'm having fun!” She whined, like a child being told to go to sleep. The sincerity in her voice was sickening. It seemed the Hoshidans felt much the same way.

     “We're not here to have fun! Come on!!” Looking much too put out, Yuugiri shouldered her bow, climbing back atop the avian behemoth. With only two powerful flaps, enough to knock anyone too close back onto the spikes, it had taken off. The princess wasn't sure where she was planning to go, but given how unconcerned she seemed with the battle, it was safe to say she probably wasn't afraid of being shot down regardless she went.

     “Nii-san!” In the darkness of the wooded area, Kaze dropped his battle stance, running over to his brother, relief flooding his features. “You're okay! I was-- I thought you were--” The red-haired man brusquely waved him off, not looking nearly as happy to be reunited with his brother.

     “Save your maudlin sentiments, fool. What are you doing here? You saw my signal.”

     “Yes... I did. And I also saw your second signal.”

     “...what second signal?” Nerr hopped over the kunai that littered the ground.

     “The one requesting aid. Who's injured?” Saizou shook his head, looking confused (at least, as much as one eye and not much else could convey confusion).

     “No one. I only sent the one, to warn any additional soldier--” He stopped short, his confusion melting in a seething fury. The Nohrian girl immediately took a defensive stance, expecting him to turn his anger on her. But he didn't. “ _Kotaro..._ He must've seen it. That _bastard!!_ ”

     “Brother, what are you--” Kaze was cut off by his brother grabbing his shoulders tightly.

     “Where did you see that second signal from!?”

     “I-I can't be sure. It looked to be from the same area you sent yours from.” Scoffing a strange word that must have been some Hoshidan swear, the angry man pulled out a large dagger, stalking past them all. Nerr grabbed his scarf, pulling him back.

     “Where are you going!? We need to get out of here while we finally have a chance!” He slapped her hand away hard enough for it to hurt, glaring at her.

     “Don't touch me, traitor. I'm not fooled by this pitiful facade of a 'rescue'. I'm here on a mission, and I fully intend to complete it.”

     “W-what are you talking about, S-Saizou-san?” Sakura, who had been cowering behind a nearby tree, crept out during the lull in fighting. Blood flecked her robes, and she trembled like a leaf as she clutched her staff. The ninja's harsh expression softened a touch (probably because he was talking to someone he considered _actual_ Hoshidan royalty).

     “We received word that Kagerou was in the nearby village. We came to retrieve her, and found it destroyed... and saw no sign of her. The Mokushuujin must be holding her captive, and I will not allow that mother-fucking cum rag Kotaro to take _another_ person from me...!”

     “Kagerou...” Kaze whispered. Takumi stepped forward, looking winded.

     “She must know where Ryouma is! We've got to help her!”

     “Where would she even be?” Saizou tightened his grip on the kunai at his side.

     “The village was still burning when we arrived. He must be keeping her nearby, lest she escape- one can't simply lock up a ninja. You said the second signal came from the same area as the first?”

     “I believe so.” The green-haired man nodded and his brother squared his shoulders, looking grim.

     “Then I must go back. You have fulfilled your familial duties, Kaze. Now leave.”

     “No! You cannot tell me Kagerou has been captured and expect me to just put that from my mind!”

     “That's _exactly_ what I expect you to do. You turned your back on Hoshido the moment you cast your lot with Nohrians, just as Mokushuu did. Be this guilt or misguided affection, it has no place here.” Kaze clenched his jaw, breathing heavily, averting his gaze for a moment before looking up, eyes flashing.

     “Neither does your arrogance, Saizou. You are outnumbered- you will not be able to take on this enemy by yourself and win. And your failure will not just result in _your_ death, but that of Orochi and Kagerou as well. A failure of that magnitude would shame our clan for generations.” One could hear the red-haired man grinding his teeth.

     “ _Fine_.” He finally spat out. “We must go north of here, nearer to Mokushuu proper. Stay in the woods- the clearings are rigged with traps, as you've all noticed. And _don't_ slow me down.”

000

The Mokushuujin seemed to vanished, but it was clear they had not surrendered. The woods remained deathly silent, not even the occasional insect disrupting the quiet. Thunder rumbled overhead, but rather than break the silence, it only added to the oppressive atmosphere. Nerr strained her ears for the slightest sign that someone else was there, some indication of where the next attack would come from, but all she could hear was her own breathing and her heart pounding in her ears.

Behind her, Sakura and Azura were gasping like dying animals as they struggled to keep up. Saizou and Kaze aside, the Hoshidans seemed to have little stamina. Not surprising, given that until recently, a magic bubble had dealt with their problems for them and they'd had no real reason to train for combat at any moment. It seemed like they didn't have to deal with issues like bandits and pirates and slavers, which only made Mokushuu's aggression so much more unnerving. What the hell were _they_ training for?

Saizou stopped short, holding up a hand to stop the others as well. Nerr and Kaze were the first to join him as he looked through the brush. A small glade, with more undergrowth than the other clearings, sat just northwest of them. A pile of ash stood out against the otherwise verdant ground, beside a thicket. The area looked innocent, like a nice place to have a picnic, save for the huddled form laying beside the burned out fire. It was hard to tell what color her clothes had been, for now they were red, soaked in blood that still looked fresh. Her arms and legs were trussed behind her back in a painful position, though she still writhed ineffectively, her screaming muffled by something. Saizou sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

     “Damn it...”

     “This is obviously a trap.” Nerr hissed at him, only to be met with a hateful glare.

     “You think I don't know that? What does it matter? Look at her! Who knows how badly she's injured; she could be dying!” Kaze paid the exchange little mind, scanning the area, taking in every inch of the clearing.

     “I don't _see_ anything. No trip wires, no sign of turrets. It doesn't even look like there's a false ground.”

     “So it must be an ambush waiting to happen.” The Nohrian princess inhaled deeply, but beyond the smell of decaying leaves and dirt, everything human- blood, sweat, fear- seemed to be coming from their own group.

     “Then I'll deal with that when it happens!” Raising his kunai, Saizou walked out into the clearing. No arrows pierced his skull, no flames engulfed him. His slow, cautious steps quickened with every second no attack came. Kagerou began thrashing harder and screaming louder as she saw her comrade, a far cry from any relief. A deep-seated unease churned in Nerr's stomach; why would that chit be drawing so much attention to herself, and her partner in the process? Why were there no shadows creeping closer in the surrounding trees? A half-formed thought hit her, and she found herself chasing after the ninja before her mind could catch up with her. She tackled him to the left, sending them both to the ground and exacerbating the pain in her side.

Dirt flew up as shuriken, the multi-toothed abominations unique to Mokushuu, rained down from the sky, their serrated edges cutting through the soil as easily as they would through flesh. Any thought of Saizou quickly left her mind as the princess curled into a tight ball, covering her head and neck with her arms in case any stray projectile reached her. By some miracle they didn't, and when the hail finally stopped, she hazarded a glance at the spot they'd just been standing in. Dozens of metal disks poked out from the ground, like a sorry joke of a garden. A dark shadow, bigger than any weapon, dropped down in the barrage's wake, landing lightly. It stood up slowly, a man in his forties perhaps, donning the same earthen robes as the rest of the ninja, though his beard and height set him apart from most Hoshidan men she had seen. He chuckled darkly, a forbidding sound.

     “And here I thought no one would come. I told myself, 'it's just not possible for someone to be _that_ stupid'. I'm disappointed; I'm disappointed you proved me wrong.”

     “Kotaro....” Saizou growled like an animal, his entire body shaking as he got back to his feet. The older man looked at him, as though he were some mildly amusing curiosity.

     “Oh? You sound angry. What could I have done to incur the ire of some Hoshidan grunt?” He answered through his actions, dashing towards the Mokushuujin so quickly Nerr had barely blinked in the time it took him to set upon Kotaro. He swung his kunai at the other man's throat, only to have it blocked by the curved blades that decorated his vambrace. Unlocking their blades, he slashed again and again, once precise blows becoming sloppy as each missed or was blocked. Kotaro laughed harshly.

     “What is this? Are you trying to swat a fly? Honestly, I would expect more from a royal soldier... what am I saying? No, I wouldn't.” Pulling out his own dagger, he moved with a predatory fluidity, driving it into Saizou's side, just under his arm. The younger ninja grunted in pain, but refused to back down, swinging again. This time, he came closer to his mark, the tip of his blade raking the underside of the other man's jaw, but it wasn't enough, and Kotaro retaliated by driving his elbow into the red-head's gut. With the wind knocked out of him, Saizou was forced to a knee.

     “Saizou!” With quicker reflexes than seemed humanly possible, the Mokushuujin leapt back, as a fistful of shuriken flew past him. Kaze had run out, gathering more in his hand as he approached.

     “And you brought reinforcements too? Well, that's fair; so did I.” He lifted his hand, casually beckoning at something. Nerr looked around, trying to see what she had missed, but it wasn't until the broken twigs and leaves began falling that she thought to look up. Shinobi, dozens of them, dropped like fruits, landing so lightly that they seemed to be walking before their feet touched the ground. The smug, amused look on Kotaro's face slipped away. “ATTACK!!” His voice echoed through the forest, and the cacophonous roar of dozens of battle cries going up at once deafened them all.

The Hoshidans and Nohrians that had remained hidden in the trees until that moment rushed out, their blades and lances drawn, clashing with the short swords and daggers of the Mokushuujin with a violent report. Nerr's breath caught in her throat as the ground shuddered beneath her, and the princess scrambled towards the bloody woman still futilely struggling against her bonds. They were tied too tightly to be undone by hand, the coarse rope stained with blood where it had dug into her wrists and ankles. Nerr worked the Yato between the tiny gap of her wrists, the bronze edge splitting the fibers with ease. She didn't even think to remove the filthy rag stuffed in her mouth, but the moment her hands were free, Kagerou ripped it out herself, gasping for breath. Any disdain she might have normally felt for one she viewed as an enemy was forgotten as sparks from colliding blades fell around her.

     “Can you stand?”

     “Yes.” The older woman's voice was hoarse, but strong. She reached out, grabbing Nerr's arm. Her hands were caked in blood. “There's a girl from the village. Kotaro took her as well.” For a fleeting second, she could not help the knee-jerk thought of ' _Who cares?_ _'_ , but it was gone as soon as it came.

     “Where?”

     “Further-- further in the woods. It's where he was keeping me until he saw--” Her eyes (at least, the one not hidden by filthy, matted hair) widened, and Nerr twisted, her sword raised as a katana came less than a foot away from her spine.

Flipping over, she kicked the unfamiliar samurai in the shin, maybe not hard enough to break the bone but definitely enough to throw him off balance. He stumbled, but recovered with cat-like precision, driving his blade into her extended ankle. With no greaves, the sword sank deep into her flesh, scraping against the bone. Panic dampened the pain, but could not blot it out all together. She felt herself screaming, unable to hear anything over the ruckus going on around her. Bright spots exploded in front of her eyes, but she clenched her jaw, drawing her own blade back and swinging. The Hoshidans in general seemed to consider armor an afterthought, and the same held true for this duchy.

Her sword was longer, heavier, and when it met with the thin bone of the Mokushuujin's shin, broke it in half. He let out a strangled cry and collapsed, the broken leg unable to support his weight. Biting her lip, hoping the pain as her teeth split the tender flesh there would help distract her from what she was doing, Nerr pulled the katana free from her ankle. She felt every torturous inch as it scraped against her muscles, groaning loudly when it was completely out. Slowly, much too slowly when attackers were all around, she climbed to her knees. A hand grabbed her arm and she panicked for a moment, before realizing it was the female ninja. Trying to balance as much of her weight on her right foot as possible, she looked Kagerou in the eye.

     “Do you think you can get there?”

     “Yes.”

     “Then go with Saizou. We'll try to hold them off here.” For a moment, the Hoshidan woman seemed doubtful, but given their dire straits, this was no time for doubts. She nodded. Limping slightly, she grabbed the still bloody katana Nerr had thrown to the side and made her way to where the red-headed ninja was currently trying to cleave a path through to Kotaro. He wasn't making any progress; for every man who was met with a knife to the gut or throat, another took his place, stepping over the bodies of their still bleeding comrades with no indication that they cared or even noticed, their only goal to kill those not affiliated with them. Despite her injuries, Kagerou managed to block an incoming strike, retaliating with several quick jabs to the gut. The man clutched at the gaping holes in his abdomen, not noticing the sword arc upwards until it slid across his throat. There was no point in even trying to hear what she was saying to Saizou when she reached him.

What they did was the least important thing right now, as a wave of chartreuse flames hit her flank, knocking her off balance even as her clothes charred and the skin beneath blistered. There was a mage several feet away, preparing another spell by the look of it. She would never be able to hop over there on one foot. The solution to her problems was so simple she must have been brain damaged to have not realized it sooner. Sheathing the Yato, Nerr fumbled for her dragonstone, clutching the gem tightly. The soothing cool absorbed into her blood, immediately seared away by the agony of tendons snapping and bones breaking, reforming into something grotesquely inhuman. The reds and greens around her all faded to a dull silver, but she could still recognize friend from foe easily enough. Hana and Hinata were fighting in tandem, her swings quick and light, his slower but with much more weight behind them, cutting deep into the arms of the close-range Mokushuujin.

The mage that had attacked her dropped his strange wooden slats as she shifted into a monster, and she was intent on not letting him grab them again. Her gait on three legs was lopsided, but even limping like this was infinitely faster than moving only with one. Watery saliva streamed from her immense maw as she opened her jaws wide, far wider than a human could ever hope, closing them on the mage's shoulder. He screamed, the high pitched tone driving into her ears like an ice pick, but she refused to let go, whipping her head about and tossing the soldier like a ragdoll. She could feel the bone dislocate, the skin and muscles begin tearing, aided by her sharp mandible. It wasn't until the body dropped of it's own accord that she stopped. She had assumed his arm came off, but that wasn't entirely right. It had indeed broken, but the skin had peeled away, resulting in him hanging by a thread of his own flesh. Nerr had never heard a grown man cry so hysterically before. Even as she dropped him, he curled into a ball, the mangled remains of his limb oozing blood beneath him. He wouldn't be a threat in the foreseeable future. It seemed like they might actually have a chance...

A scream, higher than the others, broke her from her hopeful thoughts. One of the Mokushuujin had broken through their thin defensive line, and was currently standing over a huddle of white that lay on the ground. Nerr only recognized her as Sakura by her robes. She hadn't fallen down trying to back away; she lay on her side, curled up tightly. The man raised his sword above his head, the grin on his face one of pure smug delight. She ran towards them, urging herself to go faster, the pain dulled significantly as she used all four legs but still there. Before Kotaro (it had to be him, she recognized the ponytail that had come half loose) could drive his blade into the young girl's gut, a column of water erupted around her, the force of it as it spun snapping his blade in two and knocking him off his feet. It dissipated as quickly as it came, soaking the ground as well as the girl it had protected. She didn't even flinch. Stumbling over the muddy ground, Azura reached her first, though by that time, Kotaro had gotten back up.

He pulled out a kunai, but had it and a sizable amount of skin ripped away by claws, each as big as his hand. For the briefest moment, fear overtook his calm demeanor as he craned his neck back to look up at the beast before him. It only lasted a moment, though. He quickly leapt back as she swiped at him again, a handspring putting ample distance between them. Back on two feet, the ninja yelled something in the moon-speak Hoshidan language Nerr didn't understand. His soldiers did. As one, every archer and mage that wasn't engaged in combat with an immediate foe turned towards her, unleashing an onslaught of projectiles. Her body acted independently of her mind, which was still trying to catch up to what was happening. She turned, spreading her wings, the shadow they cast enveloping Azura and Sakura. So close, she could see the younger princess had her arms wrapped tightly around her belly, the white of her long sleeves much darker now as tears oozed from her shut eyes.

Several arrows pierced the thin membranes stretched between the bones, and while the spells singed her flesh, it wasn't at all like the misery she felt as a human. She had expected so much more, however. It wasn't until she realized she was holding her breath that she smelled the water, heavy in the air like a sudden downpour... or like when Azura used her magic. She must have created another barrier, evidenced by the way it sent mud splashing over her as it dropped again. Knowing it would at least take a few seconds for the Mokushuujin to ready another round of arrows and spells, the Nohrian princess turned around again. She saw Jakob's grip on his dagger slip, giving the mechanist he struggled against an opening to rake his own kunai across the butler's face. Despite Gunther's thick shield hardly denting against the numerous blades blunted against it's surface, it could do nothing against magic. She could see parts of black armor glowing from heat as enchanted flames clung to him. Shuriken stuck out from Takumi's arms as he struggled to bend his bow, his hands shaking violently.

 

No... there was no chance.

 

Their numbers were too small, too weak, too injured. The Mokushuujin were a legion, swarming over them like ants over a carcass. They would have to leave Saizou and Kagerou and whoever the unlucky villager was behind, or they would join the bodies at their feet. Biting her lip (at least, she would have if she'd had lips... or teeth), Nerr decided to embrace the animal she was. Inhaling deeply, she charged into the midst of the battle, bucking and flapping wildly. It wasn't her fault the only animals she was familiar with were horses, but she had seen the damage Caractacus and Bravane were capable of when they started. Indeed, given that she was larger than most horses, she wound up causing a great deal more harm. Those she kicked or hit with her tail were sent flying, and the gusts created by her massive wings left the closest attackers struggling to stay on their feet.

 _“_ _Everybody, run! I'll hold them off!”_

     “We can't leave you!” Azura cried out over the din.

     “ _I'm not asking; I'm_ _ **telling**_ _you to go! I'll follow!”_ With her elongated neck, she looked over her shoulder to see the group retreating back into the trees, Tsubaki throwing down his lance to pick up Sakura. Unfortunately, all she saw leaving were Hoshidans. _“Damn you two! I said go!”_

     “Never! I'll die before I leave your side, my lady!” Accursed loyalty... In the shadows of the trees, she saw a massive figure lumbering. With everything blended together, she could not tell one darkness apart from another, but the slightest tinge of crimson stood out. With that one familiarity, she could make out Saizou's hair as he hauled something through the woods. There was no need to stay any longer.

     “ _Gunther, Jakob;_ _I'll_ _take the rear. Follow the Hoshidans!”_ Perhaps due to her wording, they did not argue this time, backing away, keeping their weapons raised. Several Mokushuujin tried to approach, but Nerr reared up on her hind legs, clawing at them. Most fell back, save for one grizzled looking samurai. He ducked under her long limbs, slashing at her belly. Even though there were no scales, the thickened skin usually dulled the cut of a blade.

 

Usually.

 

A pain, like a branding iron slitting her from end to end, exploded in her middle. Blood, it's tang sharper than that which already hung heavy in the air, left her mouth watering even as the caustic stink of burning flesh turned her stomach. She didn't stop to think about it, mustering up what little energy she had to backhand the impetuous soldier away. She felt his ribcage shatter under the force of her blow. Willing her leaden limbs to move, she turned and followed her retainers. Every step left her more lightheaded than the one before, but she couldn't stop. She wasn't sure if the crackling leaves and sticks were the Mokushuujin or her own group, but she was sure it was the soldiers behind her. They were not like the Hoshidans; there was nothing soft or weak about them. It was little wonder they allied with Nohr. They may as well have been one in the same. And just as she knew with her home kingdom, there _would be no_ _winning_. Survival; that was the most they could hope for.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- This took SOOO much longer than I'd wanted it to, and it turned out longer than I'd wanted it to as well, but I'm pleased with it. So... yeah. Unlike in the game where the story simply doesn't continue until you win, we've encountered our first loss. And against Kotaro of all people. I fucking hate hate HATE this chapter in Revelation. It, like so, SOOO much of both that route and Birthright, feels like it's just there to hit the same story beats as Conquest, a game whose maps actually make sense in terms of it's story. Why are you in Mokushuu in Conquest? Because you've just arrived in Hoshido and they're your only fucking allies (or so you think). Why are you there in Birthright? No reason- there are a fuckton more direct routes to the border than through the territory that razed a neighboring territory to take it's land. Why are you there in Revelation? Bullshit reason that would realistically get everybody murdered (I swear to god, Corrin would dive headfirst into a fucking nuclear reactor core). I'd have skipped this bullshit entirely, but honestly, Kotaro is one of the only Hoshidans I actually like (as in love to hate, because he's so damn EVUL!). He's the only main story Hoshidan villain, he adds some gray to Hoshido's white morality, he's a genuinely terrifying character, and he just gets swept under the rug. IntSys makes it seem like he's some loser nobody who thinks he's better than he is, never mind that this guy led the fucking genocide of a duchy that housed ninja so elite they served the royal family. I think that deserves a bit more respect this time around.


	9. Tides and Tempests

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Ch.9- “Tides and Tempests”

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Hours. Hours, surely it was hours even though there was no conceivable way that was right. It certainly felt like hours as they ran, tripping over rocks and bushes in their haste to escape the arboreal maze. Pain was but a foggy memory in Nerr's mind as she galloped, her frame, so much wider than she was used to, knocking into trees that were closer together than she expected. Kaze led them, the swiftest and the only one who seemed to have any idea where they were going. When he turned suddenly, they all followed unquestioningly. Saizou and Kagerou caught up to them, half carrying, half dragging a young girl. Despite her obvious injuries, the female ninja did not slow down once, faring better than some of the Hoshidans (Takumi's male retainer in particular seemed to be having a hard time keeping up). Through some divine miracle they made it out of the woods, only encountering a few Mokushuujin soldiers trying to stop them and falling into bloody piles as a result, swords, a lance, long, wickedly curved antlers goring anything standing in their way. Several more shinobi followed them back into the charred remains of the village, but were felled by no less than six arrows, each meeting it's mark with a sharp, wet “thwack”.

 

Golden feathers littered the ground, their brilliance overtaken by filth as the group splashed through the mud, desperate to reach the orchard. The two mounts available to their numbers remained where they had been hitched. Despite momentarily escaping their pursuers, there was no peace to be found. Only pain... and fear. Kagerou had collapsed against one of the trees, her partner still holding supporting the village girl they'd rescued, who struggled against his grip, wailing like a terrifying spirit. Takumi dropped his bow, wandering a few steps away before doubling over and heaving violently. His retainers rushed to his side at once, despite their own injuries. The rain they had run through washed away some of the blood, but not enough to make a difference. The massive bird landed several feet away from the trees, one of it's wings trailing on the filthy ground, the fletching of an arrow sticking out from it's feathers. It's rider dismounted, running over to the others. Her expression, almost neutral, shifted into horror as she gasped.

 

“Sakura-sama!! What happened!?” The young princess didn't answer, only giving a weak groan. Her retainer laid her on the ground, where she immediately curled up again like a pill bug. Nerr could hardly see her- everything was swimming, the ground shifting like a sack of water under her feet. If she didn't have three of them to stand upon, she'd have fallen over long ago. Even so, she could smell blood- steeped into every single person, but more strongly from the girl at her feet.

“ _Jakob?_ _Can you help her?_ _”_ She looked around for her retainer, everything flashing brightly as her head moved.

“I-I'm on it, milady...” Gasping and coughing, the butler stumbled forward, pushing the Hoshidans in his way aside. “Mo-- MOVE! Let me through, dammit!” Kneeling, he reached for the Hoshidan staff hooked to his belt, missing it as he began tipping over with a groan. He'd have fallen had Gunther not caught him by the back of his shirt, holding him upright. Breathing heavily, Jakob rubbed his temples with one hand, succeeding in grabbing his staff with the other this time. “Roll her over onto her back, and move her arms. I need to see what we're dealing with.”

 

Tsubaki and Hana complied, forcing their liege to roll over. Sakura cried out in pain, struggling weakly and sobbing as they finally uncovered her injury. A gash, a good six inches long, had cut through her robes, staining the white upper part almost the same color as the red skirt beneath. Further ripping open the stained cloth, Jakob revealed it was deeper than one might have guessed, skin and muscle both gaping like an angry, infected mouth. Nerr could see the muscle that hadn't been severed shifting, an almost hypnotic pattern as the girl's organs moved with every breath. The sight of it brought bile surging up her throat, an eternity of burning that was only alleviated as she opened her jaw, thick, viscous fluid splashing over her feet. As her stomach heaved, the pain there grew more intense, inciting more retching in a seemingly endless cycle of agony. Jakob, consummate professional though he was, still looked over at her as he set about healing Sakura, a battle of uncertainty playing out over his face for a second before he set himself firmly to the task at hand. With one hand, he pinched the severed flesh together, ignoring the high pitched wails of his patient as he waved his staff over her with the other. The shadowy woodlet grew brighter for a moment and the screaming grew louder, the princess' flesh lit a soft green where the muscles began weaving back together. A sharp ping as a crack appeared in the mirror at the festal's apex was all that preceded it snapping in half. The moment the polished bronze broke, the healing glow vanished. Jakob cursed under his breath.

 

“Damnation. So much for that. And it doesn't look like hers has much of a use left in it either.”

“Well, you've gotta do something!” Hana exclaimed hysterically, earning a sour look.

“I just _did_ something, you stupid chit. A hell of a lot more than _you_ did. The bleeding has stopped, and it doesn't appear that there are any internal injuries, but we need to find some place clean and dry so she can heal without running the risk of infection.” While all the commotion went on around her, Azura had lain down flat on the ground, her thin chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath. She tried to lift her head, only to let it drop back down to the dirt.

 

“There has to be village nearby... It can't just be this...” Straightening, Takumi turned around, wiping the vomit from his mouth. He dragged his feet over to Saizou, or rather, the girl beside him. Her clothes were little more than ripped rags, her short hair loose and as disheveled as the rest of her.

“Hey. You're from here. Who's your closest neighbor--”

“NOOO!!!!!” The prince took a step back, thoroughly unnerved by the sudden screech. The villager backed away as well, until her back hit a tree. Unable to escape any further, she slid down it's trunk, tucking her head between her knees and rocking violently as she sobbed. She muttered to herself, her words slipping together into a stream of incoherent babble. Nerr understood nothing of the Hoshidan tongue, but one word of the common one she could make out that was repeated over and over again was “gone”. Indeed, everything was gone for this poor child.

 

She recalled easily when she had felt much the same, when all hope seemed to fade away like smoke in the breeze. Closing her eyes, she released her death grip on her dragonstone. Bones ground together into dust that compacted into a human-shaped skeleton. Cuts and punctures from kunai and arrows that she'd barely noticed in her larger form stung and burned all over, as though she had been bathed in boiling vinegar. The pain in her gut hit her so hard, so sharp and sudden that she had no time to even turn her head as she coughed up more bile, the sour taste mixing with the metallic one blooming in her mouth. Breathing hard, Nerr focused on her breathing alone, pressing a hand to her belly as she limped forward. She forced her stone back into her cuirass, the rune blessedly chilled against her heated skin, even through her sweater. She could feel something hot and sticky bulging against her palm, and she gently tried to push it back into the yawning hole there. Winded and dizzy, she knelt beside the girl, only just now seeing that her stick-like arms and legs were black and blue, dozens of shallow cuts visible where her simple tunic had been ripped. With her free hand, she reached out, gently laying her fingers on the girl's shoulder, a non-touch, the way she would try to stroke a frightened animal. The villager flinched, but Nerr continued patting, her voice a hoarse whisper.

 

“Let us help you. Do have family? Anyone... somewhere else?” Surely any family she had living with her in the village had all perished. One could only hope their deaths were quick. A mop of brunette hair shook slightly.

“No...” She could barely make out the tiny whimper, thick with tears. “They're all gone... everybody's gone... I'm all alone!!!” Covering her head with her hands, she began sobbing in earnest. Tears, unbidden, unwelcome, stung Nerr's eyes. _'I'm all alone...'_ She had known that feeling all too well, though what she felt could not at all compare to this poor child's pain. The princess wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder, and that slight provocation prompted tiny hands, covered in scratches, to clutch at her sleeves as tears soaked into her shoulder. “She wouldn't take my hand! I tried to run, but she wouldn't take my hand!! Okaa-san!!!” The clattering of armor was a comforting sound to Nerr's ears, but the Hoshidan girl looked up in alarm, her already pale face turming bloodless as Gunther loomed over her. She squeaked and tried to draw away, her eyes those of a frightened doe as he crouched before her. As bruised and bloody as the rest of them, the knight looked even more severe than usual, so it was no surprise the girl flinched as he reached out and placed his hand atop her head.

 

“Your loss has been great, child. Indeed, few can understand the breadth of your sorrow. The time for mourning will come, but it is not now, little one. Now, you must be strong, for those you loved, and those you've lost.” She looked up at him, fat tears dripping down her cheeks with each blink, cutting tracks through the soot and dust there. Sniffling, she nodded weakly even as her face crumpled. Nerr sighed a breath of relief.

“We need to get away from here before the Mokushuujin send reinforcements after us. Is there anywhere nearby we can go?”

“Th-there's are fishing villages at the coast, but... th-they're miles from here...”

“Then we'd best get moving.” Saizou said gruffly, walking over to Kagerou and heaving her to her feet (though not as roughly as one would expect).

 

As the Hoshidans gathered themselves, Tsubaki lifting a barely conscious Sakura onto the saddle of his pegasus as Yuugiri and Saizou attempted to do the same for Kagerou, Nerr lowered herself to wet ground, the icy mud soaking into the seat of her tights. _This_ , being battered and broken and flat on her ass in the rain, felt like home. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine feeling the worn stone of the courtyard under her hands. She was exhausted. If she crawled up to the tower, Flora would have a hot bath ready for her, but curling up and going to sleep right where she was sounded like an equally viable idea...

 

“Lady Nerr!”

“Milady! Wake up!!” A very rude set of hands slapped her cheeks, until she was forced to swat them away.

“Daahh! Stop it!”

“I'm afraid I can't do that, Lady Nerr. You must wake up!” Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, blinking several times before the world came into focus. Jakob and Gunther hovered over her, the sight of them almost lulling her back to sleep.

 

“You're injured. What happened?” The half of the knight's face that was not mangled was fraught with concern. She waved him off, or at least tried to. Moving her arm again proved to be too much work.

“Nothing. One of the Mokushuujin attacked me. I'm fine.” Jakob scowled, his anger not directed at her, but at himself it seemed.

“I shouldn't have wasted that staff... How could I not have noticed you were injured? I feel so stupid...”

“No. You did the right thing, Jakob. Sakura would've died before we had any hope of getting anywhere were it not for you. I can-- I can endure this. I just need my dragonstone. Help me up.” Both men exchanged worried glances.

 

“You shouldn't be walking, my lady.”

“ _Help me up._ ” Reluctantly, each of her retainers grabbed her under one arm and lifted her to her feet. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, iron lapping at her tongue. She leaned heavily against Gunther as she fumbled for her stone, keeping her arm wrapped around her stomach. Her fingers felt weak. She could barely tighten them around the stone but somehow managed to squeeze her fist tight enough for the cold within the rune to seep into her fingers, sinking past her gloves and into her bones as they grew like a creeping vine. Her ribs snapped and popped, shifting under her skin. The pressure in her skull didn't abate even after the horns had formed throughly. Reluctantly, she shifted so that she leaned against one of the apple trees, aware that Gunther wouldn't be able her support her bulk much longer.

 

_“_ _You two go. I'll catch up.”_

“If you think I will let you from my sight for a moment in this state, you've gone soft in the head.” Jakob told her firmly, the older man giving her a look that said the same thing in less words. She hated how stubborn they were. She loved how stubborn they were. Were she in their position, she'd have left a long time ago and not looked back. Despite the twinge that set her nerves screaming with every moment, the princess managed to take a few unsteady steps out into the rain. Closing her eyes, she let the water cascade down her for a moment. The pain was still unbearable, but the soothing downfall calmed her mind. With both retainers mounted atop Caractacus just behind her, she set off in a weak trot, intent on catching up with the Hoshidans.

000

 

For days, they traveled southwest, stopping in hour, sometimes only minute intervals. There was never, _never_ a time when Nerr didn't look fearfully over her shoulder every time they slowed, fully expecting to see a full battalion of Mokushuujin soldiers ready to crash unto them like a wave. Each time, there was never anything behind them but the empty fields and sparse trees they left in their wake, but the fear was never put to rest. Sakura spent the entire schlep either incessantly moaning in pain, or else, whimpering in a fitful sleep. Her wound was mostly closed, but it still oozed blood into the makeshift bandages they pressed against it. Kagerou, in stark contrast, had remained utterly silent as she trudged along, insisting that the village girl ride with Yuugiri, up until the point that her legs gave out, sending her crashing to the ground. She refused to go into details about whatever Kotaro did to her to cause those injuries, only stating that it had been nothing she hadn't been trained to handle. Her mental resolve was great, but the sickly look of her spoke that the body was not as unyielding as the mind.

 

Nerr understood that far better than she had ever before as she placed one foot in front of the other, setting a pattern for herself that she could follow in a trance-like state. Nothing in the Citadel- no training, no hunger, no stupid self-inflicted injuries that came about as a result of her overconfidence- had ever resulted in _this_. The endurance training prepared her to expect to be be tired and hungry and mentally exhausted, but she always assumed that there would be healers on the battlefield, or at least off of it. She assumed that as long as she survived the battle, she would be fine afterwards, just like with the all the broken arms and broken legs and broken ribs. Everything was supposed to heal; if it didn't get better on it's own overnight, Jakob would be right there to make it all better. As her intestines squeezed through a gap in her muscles, she paused, breathing hard and willing herself to ignore the pain. Jakob couldn't do anything now, when there were no staves. They had vulneraries, but not many, and for injuries so severe, they did precious little.

 

It was as much a blessing as a curse that Nerr had her draconic mind to retreat to in these most dire of straits. The animal in her understood pain. It didn't appreciate it, but neither did it waste energy trying to make sense of it. A beast had no need for knowing such things such as “how” and “why”- the voice in her mind spurred her only to seek food and shelter, someplace safe where she wouldn't have to worry about predators while she healed. It was an odd, almost out of body experience, but one she was grateful for. However, that single minded strength came with a few... unpleasantnesses as well. When night fell and the group allowed themselves a few hours of rest, that “voice” grew strident. It wasn't even speech in any way a human would recognize it- just noise and feelings, urging her forward. It played on a loop as she tried to sleep, exhaustion and pain nearly driving her to tears (had she not been too tired to shed them), always scratching at the back of her mind like a spider scrambling beneath a glass. Even when she couldn't “hear” it, she felt it, that ever present unease that she was never safe, that there was something _there,_ just out of sight. There could very well be. She could see nothing when it grew dark, every shadow blurring together into an amorphous black she was incapable of deciphering.

 

Nerr slept very little, always half-convinced that someone was calling her name when she was dozing, but the moment she roused herself, only silence met her ears. The day was no better. Tired as she was, the princess often found herself closing her eyes while she walked, not even noticing until a sudden sound or touch stirred her. Everything looked the same, regardless of if her eyes were open or not- an endless sea of washed out gray and white with darker gray shapes trudging ahead of her. It was like walking through a charcoal sketch. Even the ground looked like ash, the coarse grass giving out to softer sand in places. Bushes and trees looked exceptionally brittle through these eyes, more so than usual. She could practically see little flakes of residue crumbling off, drifting about on the wind as though someone had thrown a letter into a fire. As she stepped over a bush in her path, her knuckles brushed against it's top and at once it broke apart, disintegrating and melding with the sand beneath. _Had_ there been a fire? Was this Mokushuu's doing?

 

Breathing hard, Nerr looked up, noticing that, upon a slightly stronger breeze, several of the spindly trees' branches met the same fate, deteriorating in an instant. She shook her head, blinking hard enough to bring red blooming behind her closed eyelids. This had to be some side effect of her staying in this form too long. She began uncurling her fingers around the stone keeping her in this shape, but the memory of what pain awaited her was enough to stay her hand. Opening her eyes, everything had grown darker before growing brighter, brighter, brighter... All that was left was white now... and the dark shapes still lumbering ahead of her. The others. They must not have noticed she'd fallen behind. Walking far too quickly considering her guts were still poking out through the thick skin on her belly, Nerr tried to catch up with them. They were getting further away the faster she walked. Just there, at the edge of the group, she could see Jakob, his silhouette familiar though the way he shuffled wasn't. Her steward never had anything less than perfect posture- he would never drag his feet like this.

 

 _“_ _Jakob.”_ She called out to him, irritation growing as he ignored her. _“Jakob!”_ She tried again, to similar effect. Her breathing quickened as a thrill of dread settled in her gut. Was he mad at her? Did he wish she had just left the Hoshidans to deal with Mokushuu? Deciding to deal with that later, Nerr approached the darkened form of a horse and rider. “ _Gunther?”_ He didn't turn around. He didn't even make any acknowledgement of her presence. He wasn't mad too, was he? Anger and dread mixed together, and without thinking, she rammed him slightly with her head. The second she made contact with the unnaturally dark figure, it, like the trees and bushes, collapsed into a heap. Nerr felt a scream catch in her throat. She hadn't pushed him hard. It had only been a light tap, nothing more!

 

Panicking, she looked to Jakob for help, just in time to catch sight of the shadowy form she took to be her retainer crumble apart as well. Everything, the plants, the rocks, the Hoshidans, it was all decaying before her eyes, coalescing into a shapeless mass, growing larger, larger, blotting out the light as it loomed over her. She tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go- darkness was everywhere. Every step she took, her feet sank deeper into the mire, the water dripping from her legs turning the soot to ink that sucked her under. There was only darkness, the same darkness as the chasm, the same darkness as the dungeons under the citadel closing in around her, immobilizing her- she couldn't even move her hands to try and claw her way back to the surface, wherever that was--

 

_“Lady... Nerr?”_

_“My lady... wake up!”_ The voices... for the first time in ages, they weren't forbidding. Despite her heart still hammering in her chest, Nerr felt as though the horror wasn't pressing in on all sides. She still couldn't move her hands, but managed to twitch her fingers. Whatever was binding them grew tighter, but not painfully so. It was almost... comforting. She forced her eyes open, blinking weakly. For a brief moment, all she saw was white, the same white from before, but gradually, color filled her vision. Some color. Soft peaches and purples and warmer grays than she remembered.

“...Gunther? ...Jakob?” There was more than a touch of fear in her voice; the fear that these two would vanish at any second as well. It seemed that fear was unfounded as Jakob all but threw himself over her and didn't fall apart... physically.

 

“Oh, thank the gods!!” He sobbed. His voice was muffled by the blanket pulled over her chest, but that was for the best given the agonizing pounding in her head. Gunther seemed far more composed, but it was a testament to how dire the situation must have been that he wasn't chastising the butler for his impropriety, nor relinquishing his desperate clutching of her hand. His fingers were cold, trembling around hers.

“You gave us quite a fright, my little ladyship. You began stumbling and collapsed suddenly. I'm afraid that cut of yours wasn't nearly as harmless as you made it out to be...” She listened to the older man speak, but it was hard to believe he was talking about her. She didn't recall anything like that. She only remembered the world turning to dust around her... when she thought about it, it sounded ridiculous, but she had _felt_ it, as surely as she felt everything now. It was probably best to keep that to herself, regardless. Licking her cracked lips, Nerr tried to speak, not certain what she wanted to say and going with the first thing that crossed her mind.

 

“I'm sorry. I've already put you through so much- both of you.” Jakob raised his head, his gaze intense even though his cheeks were more than a bit damp.

“Do not apologize for anything, milady! The blame for this lies with me alone. I should have been more diligent in paying attention to your wellbeing. My negligence is unforgivable...!”

“You didn't do anything wrong, Jakob.” Those words were so familiar, it took Nerr a second to realize she hadn't been the one saying them. Both she and her steward looked up at Gunther, confusion and disbelief warring one another. “You've never had to deal with anything more than broken bones and headaches. I've seen people keel over from simple wounds left untreated; I've lived through it, and I was _still_ too blind to think anything of it... I am a failure as your retainer, my lady...”

 

Even with his head bowed, Nerr could see the consternation etched deep into the lines of his face. Despite feeling as though her brain was fighting to burst forth from her skull, the princess found herself feeling much worse for the two miserable men at her sides than herself. Her arms felt like the bones had been replaced with lead rods, but she manged to move them even so, weakly wrapping them around each of her retainers and drawing them both in closer. It was a sorry embrace, but just feeling them both closer brought with it a bit of comfort, both mentally and physically.

 

“My boys...” She muttered. “What would I do without you?” They both fell silent, be it from the same overflowing sentiment she felt or else, extreme discomfort at being contorted awkwardly she neither knew nor cared. Nerr would have been more than happy to simply remain as she was until the end of time, feeling warm and safe and content, but she knew that regardless of how she _felt,_ that was far from the truth. Reluctantly, she released them from her grip, and the men straightened up at once. She preferred to think they were just physically uncomfortable, bent at such an awkward angle. _Not_ that they couldn't be rid of her fast enough. “Where are we?” Despite the hoarse whisper that was her voice, she still managed to convey a sense of urgency with her inquiry. “Are the Mokushuujin still after us? What about the Ho--” Her dry mouth finally got the better of her, and Nerr found herself choking, every cough sending jolts of pure agony surging through her midsection. Someone lifted her head while another someone held something to her lips. She was grateful for the water, warm and stale though it was.

 

“Don't worry, my lady. We're as safe as we can be.” The cup (or bowl or whatever it was) was removed before she had finished drinking.

“Indeed. It was fortunate that were were only a few miles from the village that Hoshidan girl mentioned. They didn't look too pleased to see Nohrians, but they could hardly turn away the Hoshidan royal family, now could they?” So they had made it there after all. That _was_ fortunate, but thinking of the Hoshidan royals only brought more concerns to the forefront of her mind.

“Sakura. Is Sakura okay?” Without thinking, Nerr tried to push herself up, regretting it immediately. It felt as though someone had driven a pike into her stomach, severing everything there with excruciating sluggishness. With a high-pitched yowl, she fell back stiffly.

“Princess Sakura is fine- _you're_ the one you should be worrying about!”

 

Jakob fumbled for something she couldn't see, revealing clay jar that he uncorked and lifted for her to drink. Reluctantly, she downed the horrid concoction, the burning in her throat strangely more pronounced than that in her midsection. She should've been feeling her injuries heal themselves... but didn't. Pushing the vulneray away, Nerr gripped the edge of the cover pulled over her chest, casting it off with a bit of difficulty. Everything she wore north of the waist had been removed, grime and dust and hideous yellow and green bruises mottling her skin. Her retainers both looked away pointedly, but she was more concerned with the thick wrapping of linen around her stomach than them seeing her exposed breasts. She could see spots of blood dotting it's surface, ever so faintly. Jakob quickly fumbled for the blanket and pulled it back over her, all the way to her neck.

 

“I'm afraid I had to take the liberty of stitching you up a bit, milady. I tried to heal you- truly I did- but it seemed that whatever caused that wound cauterized it as well and that was stopping it from closing properly.” The princess frowned at his words, though not from any kind of disappointment in his failure.

“That sounds about right. Damned if it didn't feel like I'd been burnt when that swineshagger struck me. I didn't even think it was possible for steel to cut a dragon's hide!”

“It's _not.”_ Gunther muttered darkly. “That's why wrymslayers exist. You can't break a wyvern if it doesn't know fear, and it won't know fear unless it feels pain.” It was Jakob's turn to frown.

 

“I wasn't aware that Hoshido _had_ a wyvern population.”

“Because they don't. Neither do they have the proper minerals needed to even craft such weapons.” Nerr couldn't imagine the Nohrians would relinquish their weapons with any sort of ease, but she _could_ imagine them outfitting their comrades. Comrades that slaughtered entire villages and burnt what remained to the ground... Biting her lip, she sat up again- much slower this time.

“Where are the others?”

“My lady, you should rest now. There will be time to deal with the Hoshidans later.” She brushed off Gunther's attempts to lay her back down.

“No. There _won't_. What little time we have cannot be wasted waiting for me to convalesce.”

000

 

The Hoshidans, as it was, were in the next room over. They had taken shelter in a well-off fishmonger's home, probably one of the only homes in the port with more than two rooms. Even though it was only a few yards from her own resting place, that distance proved too much for Nerr to traverse on her own, resulting in her leaning heavily on her retainers. She could hear several voices overlapping as she approached the sliding doors, though they went quiet as soon as Jakob opened it. A solid dozen heads turned to look at the newcomers in tandem. To say it was uncomfortable was a gross understatement. The urge to turn around and walk away was overpowering, until one of the seated figures rose.

 

“Nee-sama!” Sakura ran over to her, her movements a bit sluggish but still a far cry from the incapacitation she'd suffered at Kotaro's hands. “Y-you're awake!”

“Either that, or you've somehow become part of my nightmares.” She spoke without thinking, and half expected the Hoshidan princess to get upset, but instead the young girl simply laughed lightly. And just like that, the tension eased. Well.... for the most part.

“It's good to see you back on your feet, Nerr.” Azura's face was impassive, but there was a lightness in her voice that suggested she was being sincere.

 

“In truth, I'm being maneuvered like a marionette right now, but that's neither here nor there. ...I take it you're all discussing your plans on what to do next. Should I leave?”

“Yes.” Takumi answered quickly, earning a slap on the arm from his older sister.

“No. Join us.” She didn't need to be asked twice. Her retainers gently lowered her onto the floor where the Hoshidans were seated. Nerr had to press her tongue to the roof of her mouth to keep from crying out as her stitches pulled uncomfortably. She was beginning to understand what Gunther had meant by the egregious lack of chairs...

 

“So.” She gasped. “What are we discussing?”

“U-um...” Sakura took a seat between her and Azura, stuttering slightly. “Kagerou-san was telling us w-what happened with Ryouma nii-sama...” The female ninja certainly didn't _look_ like she was divulging information, her lips pressed tightly together as she glared at the Nohrian princess.

“I'm not certain how wise it is to speak freely of such things in the presence of Nohrians, Sakura-sama. We've run afoul of them too many times to take such chances.”

“I saved your worthless life, you know.”

 

“Indeed. As you did mine.” Saizou's voice was little more than a gruff whisper, but the animosity there practically reverberated in her skin. He leaned forward, his mismatched eyes narrowed. “What's your gambit, traitor?”

“That's 'Princess' Traitor to _you_ , peon. And I don't owe you an explanation. I could have easily left you and your ineffectual partner to die. But I didn't. So be grateful.” Even from where she sat, she could hear the ninja grinding his teeth. Sakura half-raised a trembling hand, drawing attention to herself (attention it seemed she wasn't entirely comfortable with).

 

“Um... I-I think it's pretty obvious by now that Nerrida nee-sama isn't a traitor. She didn't kill anyone at Fort Jinya. She helped Izana-sama and Takumi nii-sama. And she helped you all.” Silence fell over the group as her words soaked in. When Saizou spoke again, his tone was less gruff, though his words were not.

“And in the past, Mokushuu aided us against the Nohrians. Anyone can help a person today and stab them in the back tomorrow.” Perhaps noticing the increasing irritation on the young girl's face, he backtracked. “But, all things considered, I must concede that... Nerrida-sama... is unlikely to attempt anything devious in the immediate future.” Just saying her name with a modicum of respect seemed to cause him physical pain, and that pleased Nerr far more than what little respect he manged to eek out.

“I agree. So dare I ask you stop wasting time and commence explaining?” Still looking less than pleased, the female ninja resumed her tale.

 

“As I was saying, the mage leading the charge at the border managed to scatter our forces further. That was when we lost sight of Takumi-sama.” Nerr frowned deeply at her words.

“A Nohrian mage? Did he look like a cadaver?” Kagerou fixed her with an odd look.

“No. This one looked quite too young to be a corpse. His magic was unlike anything I'd ever seen before; a single spell caused the ground to open, swallowing several of our soldiers.”

“So it was Leo...” She muttered under her breath. It was no wonder he had such little patience for her when he was engaged in combat against what had to be two of Hoshido's most powerful soldiers while she (as far as he was concerned) leisurely made her way across the countryside.

 

“When the Mokushuujin came, we retreated. One of Ryouma-sama's intelligence corespondents stationed in Nohr managed to send word of an uprising somewhere in the west. Our liege decided that if the Nohrians were going to use our own people against us, perhaps he could do the same, and set off across the border. That was almost two weeks ago.” The thought of Ryoma Sama trying to turn Nohrians against their own country infuriated Nerr, and it seemed she was not the only one who was upset, although perhaps the only one for _that_ reason. Takumi had half risen in his ire.

“Then what took you so long in getting a message to us? You were _just_ captured by Kotaro; where have you been all this time?” To her credit, Kagerou did not bat an eye in the face of the prince's anger, remaining calm.

 

“In short, recovering. Were I alone, Takumi-sama, I could have returned much quicker. But I was not. There were other soldiers, and in Ryouma-sama's absence, the position of commander fell to me. One of our men fell from exhaustion, and we took shelter in the nearest village to our position at the time.” A dark, mournful look came over her face as she closed her eyes, bowing her head. “We only meant to stay for a week...”

“It was supposed to be safe.” Everyone's attention was drawn to the corner, where a tiny figure was curled into a tight ball. The village girl was clad in clean clothes, but she looked no better than she had when they first escaped Mokushuu. With her knees drawn up to her chin, she rocked incessantly, wide eyes looking at something beyond the wall she stared at. “There were soldiers. Royal soldiers. It was supposed to be safe. Who would attack when there were soldiers...?” Her voice dropped to the point that all they could hear was unintelligible muttering and the occasional “safe”.

 

“It happened so fast. One minute, everything was peaceful, the next, the Mokushuujin were setting homes ablaze. We tried to fend them off, but there were too many of them... All of our soldiers... all of the villagers...” She trailed off, her voice still even despite the pure misery on her face. Kaze reached out, taking her hands which Nerr had just noticed were shaking violently.

“You did everything you could, Kagerou. No one blames you for what happened.” She inhaled deeply, opening her eyes, the visible one gleaming brightly.

“When we first arrived, I sent one of the pegasus knights that wasn't injured to the capital with information as to our whereabouts. ...I thought he would get there in time...”

“He did.” Saizou rasped. “We got there just as the flames were dying down.”

 

“It's my fault!” The purple-haired mage cried mournfully. “I insisted on accompanying Saizou and Yuugiri. I should've known I would just slow them down. Orochi is useless at anything more than telling fortunes...!” She buried her face in her hands, sniveling. Yuugiri reached over, rubbing her back soothingly.

“You know that's not true. Why, you were the first one to notice the Mokushuujin tailing us. Had you not slaughtered that first scout, we'd most likely have been killed then and there.” That didn't seem to put the other woman's mind much at ease. Nerr had been listening to the entire account in silence, the nausea growing in her stomach staying her tongue as much as her horror and disgust.

 

“It was nobody's fault.” The words slipped from her lips before she could even consider them. “Nobody but the Mokushuujin. You weren't too slow or too weak; their actions are on no one's heads but their own.” In the back of her mind, a hateful voice reminded her how she'd dallied when they saw Saizou's smoke signal. How she spent so much time arguing with Takumi to ignore it. Maybe there had been one or two people who were injured but not yet dead, who clung to life until the last possible second that they could have saved. “They will be paid in kind for their wicked deeds... but that can only happen if both kingdoms aren't so preoccupied with killing one another that atrocities such as this go unnoticed.”

“And what are _you_ going to do about that?” Takumi's voice was quiet, but lacked none of his usual vitriol. Before she could open her mouth, Azura interjected.

 

“ _We_ are going to speak to Ryouma and Prince Xander. They are mere pawns in this war, and I don't think they would appreciate knowing that. Gods willing, they will put aside their differences and help us face off against out _true_ enemy.” Orochi lowered her hands, her lips twisting into a disdainful sneer even as she sniffled.

“Let me guess; it's that 'Anankos' person you spoke of at Fort Jinya? Another one of Garon's underlings? Who would believe something like that?”

“I would.” Her eyes widened as she stared at Saizou. It was hard to believe those words could've come from his mouth. Indeed, even his own brother seemed skeptical.

 

“Truly, nii-san?”

“Yes. The more I thought on it, the more I realized that they were telling the truth about the attack in Shirasagi. What would be the point in telling the truth about that, then lying as to who Nohr was associated with? Whoever this Anankos is, he's just as much a threat to Hoshido as Mokushuu.” He turned his attention to the Nohrian princess. “Allying yourself with Nohrians is disgraceful, but as they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'.” Kagerou looked between her comrade and the princess, before sighing.

 

“Saizou appears to know more about this than I, and if you have earned his trust then you have earned my as well, Nerrida-sama. Please pardon my disrespect earlier.” Azura smiled slightly at the ninjas, paying Takumi's groan no mind.

“Thank you for believing in us, Saizou, Kagerou. That is all we ask for.”

“I ask for a bit more.” Nerr cut in. “Where exactly did Ryouma run off to? You said 'west'- there's lots of Nohr in the 'west'.”

“It was... an oddly named place. 'Shev', I believe...?”

“Chevalier.” Gunther quickly corrected her, scowling darkly. “Hopefully, he won't be met with support.”

 

“Why not? Are you worried the Nohrians might turn on you too?” Slowly, he turned towards the prince, Takumi's smug expression dimming as hard violet eyes leveled with him.

“If you wish to find your brother, you will have to travel through Chevalier to get to him. Considering how poorly you fared against Mokushuu, are you _truly_ so eager to repeat that battle, this time against fully armored knights who won't go down nearly as easily?” Sakura whimpered loudly, curling up into a tight ball. The cut on Nerr's stomach ached as she thought of facing another Mokushuujin army, this time outfitted entirely with wyrmslayers and all but impervious to her own attacks.

 

“Then we need to find him before anyone buys into his drivel. Surely there has to be a vessel here that can drop us off on the Nohrian coast.”

“...not me.” Orochi addressed her hands more than the princess. Perhaps feeling all the eyes on her, she tucked her head further down. “Even if you're telling the truth... Mikoto-sama is dead because of you. She is dead because she wanted you to live. I'm sorry. I cannot--” She broke off, fat tears dripping from her eyes that she didn't even bother trying to stop. “Hinoka-sama needs to know what has happened. I will return to the capital and inform her.”

“I'll accompany you. Even if we stick to the coastline, we run the risk of encountering more of Mokushuu's forces.” Saizou stated. “Yuugiri?” The oldest woman leaned back, a serene expression that seemed better suited for tea time than discussions of this magnitude.

 

“Hmmm... I believe I shall accompany Nerrida-sama.”

“Why?” Her fellow retainer asked miserably. For a split second, an almost tangible grief settled over Yuugiri's features, making the lines around her mouth and eyes seem deeper.

“Because... Mikoto-sama is gone. If I can no longer protect _her_ , then at least I can protect her child. Besides,” She perked up immediately. “I can only imagine the battles that await. Death seems to follow this one; hopefully, I can be the cause of some of it~” The older woman laughed, pure delight on her face. Paying her pain no mind, Nerr scooted further away from the madwoman.

“I don't think I want that...” One would have thought that keeping a potentially dangerous enemy as a friend would be wise, but all Nerr could think of was the notion of opening her eyes and finding that gleeful face directly in front of her own as she was vivisected.

000

 

Despite being a fishing village, finding a boat willing to travel more than a few miles out to sea was a challenge. Saizou and Orochi, in a show of good faith (well, at least from the former) gave the group what coin they had on them if they needed to commission a vessel as they parted ways, bringing the reluctant village girl (who's name was Mo-something) with them. The thought of traveling back out into the open had driven her to near paroxysms of terror, but as both Nerr and the ninjas reminded her, it would be far safer in the capital than on the coast mere miles from Mokushuu. None of the Hoshidan fishermen deigned such a venture being worth their time regardless of the money they stood to earn as a result, the entreaty of their royals not nearly cause enough to run such a risk.

 

It was by pure serendipity alone that a merchant ship from one of the outlying Nohrian territories was wharfed in order to purchase a shipment of dried fish to sell at a profit. Nerr had been absolutely certain no Nohrian would be willing to transport Hoshidans, but in the eyes of a merchant, money was the great equalizer. It cost all the coin they had just received, but they were guaranteed passage to Notre Sagesse... whatever that was. She had undoubtedly read about the place during her studies, but damned if she could even recall where it was on a map now. It was more to do with the pain surging through her as she fought to keep her balance every time the ship rocked with the waves than her not paying attention to geography. Exactly.

 

Nerr gripped the railing, wishing she could lean onto it but too afraid of pulling another stitch to risk standing anything but perfectly straight- Jakob had already had to run a needle through her skin before they disembarked as her desperate attempt to sit up far too fast earlier had rent some of her flesh. Despite her pain, despite the fear that she was returning not to a warm welcome but a traitor's reward, the Norhian princess found herself enthralled by the sight of the ocean. She had only read about it and seen it in etchings prior, but no artistic rendition could compare to the real thing. The water was a rich blue, deeper and more pure than any sapphire she had ever seen, capped in brilliant white foam that churned around the galley's hull as it cut through the waves. It even _smelled_ new and amazing, salty and wet and yet so unlike anything she had ever smelled before that she didn't even have anything to compare it to. What she wouldn't give to be out there- not in a boat, just... floating. Her and the water and nothing separating them. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling utterly content.

 

_Nerr..._

She could just... jump in, and be surrounded by purity and freedom.

_Nerr..._

The railing wasn't _that_ high; how hard could it be to climb over, even with her injury?

_Nerr..._

Something touched her hip and she jolted painfully. Breathing hard, she looked for the source of her fear. Sakura stood beside her, looking up at her, coral-colored eyes wide.

 

“Nee-sama?” Oh... that had probably been her calling her name the whole time... never mind that the younger girl had never called her by her proper name until then.

“Yes?”

“A-are you okay? You're leaning awfully far over that rail...” Nerr quickly stepped away from the side of the ship.

“I was just looking at the water.” It wasn't a lie. Sakura's concern quickly melted away as she smiled.

“It _is_ beautiful, isn't it? I-I've been a bit seasick so I can't really enjoy the sights, but you certainly seem to.” The Nohrian girl looked back over the ocean.

 

“...I've never seen the sea before...” She'd never seen a lot of things. A brilliant blue sky, green grass... even the fog rolling over the waves in the distance was beautiful for how foreboding it was. Everything was new... It would have been so wonderful if this had just been a day trip like the ones her siblings took, where she could simply enjoy the sights and not have to think about potentially running afoul of her own soldiers once she made port... If she let her mind wander (even further than it already had), she could not-so-subtly envision Gunther accompanying her, the two of them simply enjoying one another's company... Alas, her eldest retainer seemed to have found more _favorable_ company than hers for this leg of their voyage. She had spied him speaking to Yuugiri soon after they'd weighed anchor. Well, the Hoshidan warrior had certainly been speaking to _him_. Even from a distance, Nerr had noticed the liveliness of her demeanor as she loitered around Gunther like a bitch in heat, idly twirling one of her arrows between her fingers. A small hand tugged on her sweater, drawing her from her red thoughts, and she looked down to meet Sakura's eyes. Though the girl was up and about, she still looked a bit wan.

 

“Are you sure you're okay? I-I can get my festal if you need it.”

“I don't. I'm fine.”

“Are you _sure?_ Y-you look like you're in pain.” Despite her soft-spoken nature, in that moment, the Hoshidan princess may as well have been bouncing off the walls and screaming at the top of her lungs, the similarity to Elise was so uncanny. _'Little sisters...'_

“I'm _fine._ ” Nerr repeated, her voice a bit more firm this time. The nausea roiling in her gut didn't count. “I'm just tired, is all.”

 

“So am I...” The peach-haired girl muttered under her breath, just loud enough for her sister to hear. “I-I never knew getting hurt in battle made you feel like _this._ I always thought that when I healed soldiers, they just... got better. When there was no more blood, no more broken bones, they were well.” She wrapped her hand around her stomach, hugging herself slightly. “It still hurts. Everything is healed, but... I-it still feels bad...” Despite her own inner turmoil, Nerr felt her heart go out to the girl. She placed her hand atop her head.

 

“That's not pain that's hurting you, Sakura. It's fear.”

“I-I don't want to be scared...” The Hoshidan whispered, her voice thick with tears. “I want to be brave, l-like you and Takumi nii-san...” Knowing she would pay the price later, the teal-haired girl knelt down so she was at Sakura's level. As long as she kept her spine perfectly rigid, everything was fine. Getting back up would be a bitch, though.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Her voice was as quiet as her birth sister's. Sniffling, the other girl nodded. “My stomach hurts when I'm scared, too.”

 

“Wh-when are _you_ scared?”

“All the time.” She answered honestly. “When I have to fight. When I have to speak to people- even people I know. Sometimes, for seemingly no reason at all.” She gripped the other girl's arms firmly, but gently. “The fact that you're still here and still looking for your brother even though you're afraid means you are _very_ brave.” Sniffling loudly, Sakura wiped her eyes with her sleeves, despite the fact that fresh tears immediately replaced the old.

“I-I'm going to do my best. No matter how s-scared I am.”

“That's the spirit. ...now could you please find Jakob, because I'm stuck like this now.”

“O-oh! Of course! Jakob-san!!!” Nerr winced as the young girl ran off, screaming at the top of her lungs. That shy demure attitude had been a ruse all along- she knew there was no way anyone's little sister could be that quiet.

 

Sighing, the Nohrian princess looked up to the sky- there wasn't much else she could do on her knees. The once bright azure had grown surprisingly darker, with heavy clouds over the horizon quickly drawing nearer. The sudden darkness affected the color of the ocean as well, the blue turning almost green, a similar shade to her own hair. A gust of wind picked up, filling the sails but also agitating the water's surface. Bile leapt into her throat as the boat lurched, and she found herself clinging to the rails in a desperate attempt to stay upright. She was so concerned with keeping her balance that she hadn't noticed anyone approach her until large hands grabbed her under her arms, lifting her up. She cried out in shock, a short cry which quickly caught in her throat as she noticed Gunther standing behind her. His eyes were squinted against the strong winds.

 

“There's a storm brewing, my lady. I suggest you get below deck before this sea gets any choppier.”

“It was clear only a few moments ago. Even in the north the weather doesn't change this-- AHHH!” With a deafening crack, the ship came to a grinding halt. It's momentum carried Nerr forward, and she found herself smashing into the railing. It was as though someone had driven an ax into her gut- she could feel the stitches tear, blood soaking into her bandages. The pain left her too lightheaded to recover her balance; she'd have gone over the side of the boat had Gunther not pulled her back quickly.

“My lady, are you okay?”

“Ngghhh... no... What _was_ that?”

 

“Lady Nerr!” Groaning, she looked up just in time to see Jakob running over to her. He was not alone in his haste. Behind him, she could see the crew members desperately pulling in the sails, and running below deck to deal with... something. Something that was not good considering their panicked voices.

“What is it, boy?”

“We've hit ice.” The fear in his voice was tangible. “The hull is broken; we're taking on water.”

“What? That's impossible! There's no ice this far east!”

“Look for yourself!” Relinquishing his grip on his liege (Jakob quickly stood in to keep her upright), Gunther looked out towards the bow, his eyes widening.

 

“Gods above, it's frozen solid!” All at once, that fear Nerr had spoken to Sakura of came back full force. She'd read tales of shipwrecks, massive ships crashing into rocks and their crews being lost to the watery depths.

“What do we do?” She hated how weak her voice sounded, but she could do nothing to stop it. They were in the middle of the ocean, still days away from land.

“Do not worry, milady. I'm certain--”

“Look!!” One of the sailors at the bow called out to his crew mates. “Something's approaching!” The deck shook as dozens of feet ran across it, attempting to decipher the shape in the fog. Whatever it was, it was massive, and strong enough to cut through the ice that stretched far beyond their galley. Soft footsteps approached, and she turned to find a pale-faced Azura looking towards the distance as well.

 

“What's going on, Nerr?”

“I don't know...” A powerful gust blew in, buffeting them all and drenching them in an icy spray. Forcing her eyes open against the biting cold, Nerr looked up, her jaw going slack in terror. “Look...!” She pointed above them, several sets of eyes following her gaze. A legion of wyverns swept across the sky, circling the boat like a swarm of buzzards. They screeched, a blood curdling cry that stopped everyone in their tracks. Two of them tucked their wings in, descending towards the deck. Those who stood under the growing shadows threw themselves out of the way as massive claws dug gouges into the slick wood. The riders dismounted, their cloaks flapping in the strong winds, tall heels clicking on the floor as one in particular, much larger than the others, sauntered forward, coming closer towards Nerr. Her hand went to the Yato's grip, but given the searing pain in her stomach, it seemed unlikely she'd put up a decent fight. Jakob shifted so that he provided a bit of a barrier between her and this strange new figure, but it wasn't until Gunther stepped in front of them both that the wyvern rider stopped.

 

“The nerve of you two- always coming between me and my dearest darling.” The fear brewing inside her dissipated all at once, and Nerr pushed herself away from her retainers. Azura grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back.

“Nerr, what are you doing!?” She paid the frantic hiss no mind, stumbling forward.

“Camilla? Is that you?”

“Hmm? Oh!” Reaching up, the figure lowered their cowl, fluffing out the long lilac curls that had been tucked into it. “Silly me; I forgot I left this up. It's been so cold, I've practically been living in it.” Relief seeped into Nerr's chest, giving way to a sense of ease that was quickly shattered as a cry went up behind her.

 

“It's the Nohrians!” There was a rapid march as the Hoshidans she traveled with dashed forward, their weapons in hand.

“No!” Regretting it immediately, the princess stood in front of her sister, her arms outstretched to shield her (not that it mattered when the older woman was almost a head taller than her). “Lower your weapons! She's my sister!”

“She's a Nohrian!” Takumi yelled, enraged.

“I know that! I said drop your fucking bow!”

 

“Wow. That sure is some lively company you're keeping these days, huh Lady Nerr?” Her ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice, and she turned again to see two more familiar faces approaching.

“Felicia! Flora!” The pink haired maid returned a beaming smile, while her sister seemed a bit more subdued. At once, Nerr's retainers were at her side again, but they looked far less pleased to see their colleagues.

“What are you two doing here?” Even with a continent between him and the Citadel, Jakob could not help his strict tone. If he had added “there are dishes that need washing”, it wouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone.

 

“This is _your_ doing, isn't it? _You_ put this ice here to stop us.” Felicia cowered under Gunther's harsh gaze, hiding half behind her twin.

“W-we had orders...”

“Orders from who?”

“From the king.” Camilla stepped forward, an intimidating form at full height though she still stood shorter than either man. She ignored them, looking down at Nerr. She felt small, like when she'd thrown away one of the dresses her sister brought her. The way those violet eyes looked at her now was even the same as back then- no anger to be found in them, only sadness... and disappointment. “Father wants you returned to Nohr.”

 

“I can't do that, Camilla. He'll kill me!”

“...I know.” The older princess whispered as she reached under her cloak, and pulled out a wicked battleaxe. A thick layer of frost clung to it's engraved surface as the air around it chilled. A cry of shock went out and Nerr found herself stumbling back. It was hard to tell what was more frightening; the fact that her sister was gripping that thing as though preparing to swing it, or the misery on her face. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as Camilla took another step to bridge the gap between them. “He won't be gracious about it. He'll have you tortured and paraded through the streets for the nobles to gawk and laugh at. You'd be left at the castle gates to rot! Imagine if Elise saw you like that. Or Leo! It's better to just make it quick and painless...”

 

“Sister, what are you talking about? Are you-- are you trying to _kill_ me!?”

“You know I don't want to!” Camilla whimpered. “But Father is furious. He'll take his anger out on _them_. You know I can't let that happen...!” With astounding speed, she swung, a chilled shock wave hitting them even as the dodged and, in Nerr's case, hit the deck. Her already gaping wound tore itself further from the trauma, but she managed to climb to her feet whilst her sister corrected her stance. This time, she drew the Yato, keeping a fool's guard.

“Sister, stop this! You're acting insane! Are you seriously trying to fucking _kill me!?_ Do you truly think my death is going to miraculously stop King Garon from being the murderous dastard he is?!” The elder woman breathed hard, despite barely exerting herself.

 

“You don't understand, Nerr--”

“No, _you_ don't understand, Camilla! Today it's me; who's it going to be tomorrow?! If he tells you to kill Leo, are you going to do that to keep Elise safe? Would you kill Elise to keep our brothers safe?!?” Her grip on the ax grew slack as she sobbed quietly.

“I don't know what else to do. He's gotten so much worse... it hasn't been this bad in years. This isn't like him...”

“That's because it's _not_ him.” Azura stepped forward slowly, ignoring Sakura's fearful attempts to draw her back. Camilla's eyes widened as she took in the blunette princess.

“You... don't I know you...?”

 

“You might know _of_ me, but I assure you we've never spoken.” The singer's voice was almost as cold as the air itself. “Your father is in league with something beyond his ken. He's playing with fire, thinking he can control it when it's only controlling him, and your family will suffer for it.” Slowly, the purple-haired woman lowered her weapon, her expression almost dazed.

“That's right... Leo said Nerr told him something similar to that at the border... Father was working with someone...”

“Not just someone. Anankos.”

“What!?” In unison, everyone gathered turned their attention to one of the other women that had accompanied the princess. She had long red hair and looked incredibly uncomfortable being the center of attention, trying to look anywhere but them.

“You know of Anankos?” Nerr asked, and the redhead pursed her lips in irritation.

 

“I never said that.”

“You may as well have. What do you know?” Azura pushed.

“Nothing!”

“Selena.” Camilla's voice was sharp as she rounded on the other woman. “What are you hiding? Do you know what Nerr is talking about? Is she telling the truth?”

“I-I--”

 

“Oh, enough of this...!” It seemed like so long since she had heard Flora's voice that Nerr almost didn't recognize it. She certainly didn't recognize that tone. Before she could think on it, the wind kicked up again, a gale this time, filled with minuscule shards of ice that cut her face like glass. Camilla and whom one could only assume were her retainers were knocked aside like dolls in the face of a child's tantrum. Even Felicia, all but immune to ice magic and the cold, stumbled as the storm raged.

 

“Flora! What are you doing!?” Her sister yelled over the howling wind.

“What I came here to do.”

“We were just supposed to bring Lady Nerr back to the castle!”

“No!” The wind petered out as Flora whirled about to face her sister. “That was Lady Camilla's orders. King Garon _knew_ she'd be taken in by that... that... _traitor's_ lies, and so he tasked me to see to it that she pay for her crimes against Nohr.” An outraged cry went out, not from the Hoshidans or even Camilla, but from Gunther and Jakob.

 

“You would turn against your liege, the one who showed you kindness, for _Garon???_ I thought you better than this, Flora! Have you no shame?” Jakob was far less tactful in his distaste.

“You swore your loyalty to our lady and now, you stand against her at the first opportunity?! You fucking _bitch!_ I should've known exactly the kind of trash you were the moment you arrived at the Citadel!” Flora flinched in the face of his anger, struggling to keep her voice even though there was still a quiver in it.

“You don't understand, Jakob--”

“I don't care to understand, you backstabbing cunt! If you make any attempt to harm Lady Nerr, I'll slit your worthless throat without a second thought!” A stricken look flashed across her face, but like a spark, it was gone as quickly as it came. Any hurt in her eyes froze, leaving nothing in it's place. No anger, no sadness, not even hate. Only determination.

 

“So be it. Then I'll have to kill you as well.” She pulled a dagger, white with frost, from within her cloak and threw it at Jakob's face. He deflected it easily enough, but that had clearly been her intention. The moment the steel hit his gauntlet, it shattered, the shards of metal striking him just as effective in causing pain as a solid piece. He cried out, staggering back.

“Flora, stop it!” Nerr put herself between her one-time staff. “What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?!” She was used to her servants fighting, but not like this. Never like _this_. How could raised voices and harsh words turn into physical violence? They'd practically grown up together. She had been ten when the Ice tribalists, at the time eight, had been brought to the citadel. After living with men for so long, she had been ecstatic to finally have other girls to talk to...

 

“I _have_ to. As long as you're alive, _we're_ in danger. This _always_ happens... you royals can't ever do anything without ruining the lives of your supposed subjects. And you don't even care! You don't even care what you're doing to us!”

“That's enough now, Flora.” Camilla had gotten up, hooking her ax back at her waist as she approached the maid. “I'm certain you've misinterpreted my father's orders. I need to speak with my sister, so stand down.” Eyes as gray and cold as steel slowly panned up to look at the princess. Flora's lips tightened into a thin line.

“No.” The older woman sputtered, affronted.

 

“ _Excuse me??_ Living with Nerr has made you impertinent; you need to learn your place.” With every word from her mouth, the blunette visibly grew more enraged, the color rising in her cheeks going unnoticed by Camila. “I ordered you to stand down. Don't make me tell you again, girl.” A tic went off in the maid's cheek as she snarled.

“You're just the same as _he_ is!!” A blizzard, compacted into an impossibly small space, hit Camilla dead center. The moment it made contact, it detonated, much in the same way Takumi's arrows did. The resulting force knocked the princess back into the ship's railing, the wood splintering against her and sending her plummeting into the waters below.

 

“Sister!”

“Lady Camilla!!” The red haired retainer ran to the railings, though she stopped herself before jumping after her liege. Her companion, a smaller woman with short blue hair, jumped onto the saddle of one of the wyverns. It spread it's wings wide, the wind kicked up as it took flight almost as powerful as the magical winds once again beginning to stir around them. The dragon dove towards the water, but before Nerr could attempt to run and see what had become of her sister, another gust knocked her back. The cold was seeping into her bones, making her weak. She could feel her blood-soaked bandages beginning to freeze to her wound.

 

“Flora...”

“I _have_ to do this!” Tears froze to the maid's cheeks as she hurled another dagger at the princess, keeping her at bay. She couldn't move fast enough to deflect it or even dodge. It struck her arm, so cold it burned. “He'll kill my people if I don't!”

“That's crazy, Flora!” Felicia had managed to push her way into the eye of the storm, so to speak. “Father can deal with Garon--”

“No, he can't! You don't know anything, Felicia; you never did! The king already had several of our best soldiers killed just to prove he _could!”_

 

Raising her hands, she wound up and threw... nothing at first glance. But the shimmering light that flew towards Nerr with the speed of a longbow arrow left wicked spikes of ice in it's wake. She could only imagine those things impaling her like a pincushion the moment it hit. She tried to dodge, but she was too slow... or perhaps not. After all, despite the fearful screams behind her, she didn't feel anything. She certainly _heard_ it, like dozens of panes of glass shattering at once. Looking up, she noticed the black and purple armor standing between her and the wall of ice. Despite his shield taking the brunt of the spell, she could see Gunther's armor caking with thick frost, his head bowed as he fought to hold his own against the powerful magic.

 

“Flora! Stop this madness!”

“I can't! It's her or my family! I don't have a choice!” Snow swirled around her, blinding them. Nerr could just make out her raising her hand, drawing on the magic in her blood. She had seen Flora freeze a massive tub of hot water solid without even trying.

 

A crack, like lightning. Another gust, this one warmer. A scream, higher and louder than anything she'd ever heard before. The snow, the ice and wind all stopped at once, and Flora fell to the frozen deck, shrieking at the top of her lungs. The snow at her knees was quickly turning red as blood gushed thickly from the jagged stump she clutched. A hand- or what was left of one- lay on the ground beside her, the meat and bones torn apart into something that only vaguely resembled the key features of fingers.

 

“What the fuck?!?!” Nerr recoiled in horror, looking around for the assailant. Was it another soldier? Iago? It should have come as no surprise for her to see Takumi standing there with his bow in hand, another glowing arrow already nocked... and yet, it did. “Takumi, what did you do!?”

“I save your life!” There was a slight quiver in his voice, though if it was from anger, fear, or simply the cold, she could not tell. “She wasn't going to stop until you were dead! You're welcome!”

“Sister!” Felicia was at her twin's side at once, pulling off her own cloak and pressing it to the macerated flesh. Nerr instinctively approach, but stopped herself mid-step. Even though she seemed to preoccupied with her agony to attempt anything, there was still the niggling fear in the back of her mind that she _could_. With a great leathery swishing, the wyvern that had flown overboard flew onto the deck, landing with great reluctance amidst the icy spears.

 

“Lady Camilla!” The red haired woman ran over to it as it's rider dismounted, both of them working in tandem to lower Camilla to the ground.

“Sister!” Nerr tried to make her way to her sister, but hit the deck hard as the ship lurched violently once more.

“Gods help us, what is it now!?” Azura's voice was tight with dear as she looked around. Were there _more_ members of the Ice Tribe at work? Was it somehow Flora still? One of the ship's crew ran up from below deck. Despite being away from the storm and breaking waves, he was drenched.

“It's no good. We're taking on too much water and can't close the breach in the hull.”

“We're sinking...?” Sakura's voice had gone beyond fear and shock to the point that she simply sounded blank. Her fear may not have been obvious, but that of the other passengers and crew was.

 

“Wait!” Felicia wiped her brow, paying no mind to the blood she smeared onto her head as she did so. “We came on a boat! I mean... King Garon would probably be mad if we brought Hoshidan soldiers on board...”

“There are no soldiers here. Only passengers aboard a sinking ship.” Nerr stared at her maid imploringly. The pink-haired girl bit her lip, but ultimately nodded.

“Okay. I need to tell Beruka or Selena to alert the captain. Can you--?”

“...yes.” Steeling herself for the worst, the Nohrian princess sheathed her blade and approached the sisters, taking Felicia's place and putting pressure on the wound. Her grip must have been quite a bit tighter than the maid's as Flora moaned loudly in pain. The cloak was already saturated, steaming slightly in the cold. The blunette gasped for breath as frozen tears continued layering onto her cheeks. Wearily, she opened her eyes, their steely depths glazed and unfocused.

 

“I'm sorry.” She whispered breathlessly. “I never wanted this to happen. ...I didn't have a choice...” Nerr bitterly wondered who she was trying to convince. It wasn't that she didn't understand; if it was for the lives of her brothers and sisters, it was hard to say who she wouldn't be willing to kill. And Garon _was_ a cruel, wicked man who would sink to slaughtering his own people, just like the Mokushuujin. But even so...

“We _always_ have a choice.” She could hear how bitter she sounded. She just couldn't tell who that bitterness was directed towards.

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Nerr felt her heart bleed for the merchants as they watched their ship capsize. With the help of the wyvern knights, they'd managed to salvage some of their goods, but in one fell swoop, their livelihood was gone. Camilla, soaking wet and shaking from the cold, assured them that, as their loss was due to her actions, she would see to it that they receive reparations. It was clear the captain was not pleased with her promise, but he bowed lowly, thanking her regardless. Flora's words came back into her mind, _you_ _royals can't ever do anything without ruining the lives of your supposed subjects..._ This was the third time she'd watched innocent people get embroiled into the war, and suffer as a result. Granted, no one had _died_ this time, but that didn't help with the discomfort in her stomach. Of course, that was also probably due to Jakob pulling a long needle through her skin again.

 

It hadn't occurred to her to ask where he'd gotten the materials necessary before; he may have still had the needles from when he stitched together Gunther's face, but it wasn't as if he'd had a great deal of thread even then. _She_ did, however, and now she had the ultimate displeasure of watching her fine silk embroidery thread be wasted. At the very least, she was doing better than Flora. The small(ish) group of those injured (and their retainers) were a tight squeeze in the bunks the crew graciously gave up for them to rest in. The maid lay down in one of them, her face deathly pale as she gasped for every shallow breath. Despite looking like she would throw up at any moment, Sakura had managed to work with Felicia to seal the arteries and veins and shattered bones. Nerr had asked Jakob if he might not help. The steward's face turned stony as he informed her that _no_ , he would most assuredly _not_. Even though it hadn't been an _order_ per se, it was still strange to hear her retainer deny her request for anything. And even stranger, she did not hold it against him. Healed though he was, she could still see the faintest scars where the shrapnel from the dagger had struck him.

 

“I'm sorry, Jakob...” Flora had whispered as he tied square knots after every stitch. She slurred her words slightly- it would've been funny if Nerr didn't know exactly what blood loss felt like. “I never wanted to hurt you...” The butler had been grinding his teeth from the moment she addressed him, and just then, paused in his ministrations, turning to face her directly.

“You are dead to me.”

 

Once, not that long ago even, Nerr would've chastised him for being so cruel. Now, she was busy biting down on the sword belt she'd obtained in Kazeho to keep from crying out as broken threads were pulled out of her skin and replaced with new ones. Her jaw hurt- she could practically feel her teeth cracking. She wished she could squeeze Gunther's hand instead of breaking her teeth, but given the chilblains on his newly bandaged fingers, that wouldn't have been pleasant for either of them. As Jakob tied the final stitch, she unclamped her jaw, trying to rub away the ache.

 

“Ohhh... I'm really sorry, Lady Nerr...” Felicia looked away from her sister, normally bright eyes clouded in sorrow. It felt wrong to see the usually chipper maid so forlorn. “I don't know what got into Flora.”

“It's fine. If Garon is threatening your people, I can understand doing anything to keep them safe.” The other girl shook her head sadly.

“But Garon is _always_ threatening us. That's why he brought us to the Citadel in the first place.”

“What?” Nerr gawked at her. What was she talking about? Garon brought them there? No, that... they were... It only just occurred to her that she actually had no idea how her maids came into her service. She always assumed they were like Jakob, and Lilith, and even Gunther- they just... showed up one day. Felicia shrank down slightly.

 

“Oh geez, I-- I thought you knew! You always talk to Flora so I thought she told you... My Father has been planning to secede from Nohr for ages... He was super diplomatic about it, but I guess he had an army just in case? So... King Garon sent his soldiers to take me and Flora to the castle so he wouldn't try to attack. We never blamed you, Lady Nerr!” She added quickly, a genuine smile flitting across her lips. “You were really nice, and honestly? I think I kind of like washing dishes more than collecting taxes...”

 

“I didn't know you knew about that, Felicia...” Flora's voice was weak. “Father... only told me...”

“Yeah, well, regardless of what you and Father think, I'm not stupid, Flora.” The pink haired girl snipped. “I _have_ eyes, you know.”

“...I never thought Father would try those tactics against his own people...” Camilla drew the blanket draped over her shoulders tighter around her. Her hair was still damp, dripping as she shivered violently. Nerr _wanted_ to feel sorrier for her, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind said her sister deserved that unplanned dip after trying to _murder her_.

 

“King Garon _has_ no people.” The sheer contempt in Gunther's voice made her stomach hurt, even though he was neither speaking to nor about her. “He has chess pieces. His children are the major pieces, and everyone else is a pawn. _Everyone._ Including your 'beloved' sister. Anyone with half a mind knows that.” Nerr half expected Camilla to argue that wasn't the case, or at least get offended by the scorn directed at her... but she didn't. The eldest princess instead shrank back, looking more like a scolded child than a proud royal. Maybe she knew there was nothing she could say to defend her father... or maybe she just remembered what happened the _last_ time she called someone “impertinent”. Nerr swallowed hard, feeling more out of place than she had at the fete. Sitting up straighter, she tried to keep her voice even.

 

“Be that as it may, we shouldn't forget that while he holds the pieces on a smaller scale, he too is but another piece. If Anankos can bend his ear enough to have him turn on his own people, I dare say Garon isn't as in control as he would have everyone believe.” Azura stepped forward from where she had been lingering in the shadows. Her eyes held an unnatural gleam in the lamplight.

“You must realize, Princess Camilla, that the monster your father is in league with does not need an army to decimate a kingdom. He is powerful, and cunning, and cruel. He will stoke the flames of hate between our lands and come in to rule over the ashes.” Camilla chewed on her lip, her hands fluttering nervously in her lap. She looked over to her retainers, one of them stiff, the other tapping her foot impatiently.

 

“Selena.” The foot tapping stopped immediately. “What do you know about this Anankos?”

“N-nothing, really. Just... stuff. Rumors, legends- that kind of thing.”

“What _kind_ of rumors?” Nerr pressed on. She had no idea where her sister had gotten her retainers from, but wherever this one hailed from, they apparently knew more about Valla than any Nohrian did.

“...bad ones. Like, 'this is a literal god you're talking about' bad.”

“Even if we call them 'gods', they're just dragons. You can hurt dragons- trust me.” The inflamed cut on her stomach was a testament to that. The girl, Selena, gave her an odd look, but before Nerr could think on it, she was met with a scoff and a flip of long red pigtails.

 

“Not ancient dragons. They're called 'gods' for a reason. Piddly little wyrmslayers won't make a dent on _them_. You need holy weapons for that.”

“You mean like _this?_ ” The princess half raised the Yato, it's surface catching and reflecting what little light there was.

“Both royal families have passed down holy regalia used in the first war against the Ancient Ones for millenia.” Azura stated plainly. “This is even more reason why we need to find Ryouma and Xander and convince them that they are wasting their time with _this_ war when a more pressing battle awaits.” Camilla shook her head slightly, looking both confused as well as doubtful.

 

“And say you _do_ convince them? What would that accomplish? Need I remind you that _Xander_ does not command Nohr's armies. And even if Prince Ryouma were to call for a ceasefire, I can assure you our father would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender.”

“Then Ryouma needs to surrender.”

“Nerr! What are you saying?!” Crimson eyes narrowed as they met gold.

“I'm saying surrendering is going to harm Hoshido a lot less than either Garon _or_ Anankos sweeping over them and _killing everyone_. If they surrender, the fighting stops- at least for a moment- and then we'll have time to deal with Anankos.” Azura shook her head, long hair whipping about.

 

“That's--!”

“--Unfortunately the best option available to us right now.” Gunther cut her off. “I know it goes against everything you believe in, Lady Azura, but King Garon does not _do_ compromise. You fall to the knee or fall on the sword, and he will have no qualms with killing every last man, woman and child in Hoshido if Prince Ryouma continues to oppose him. There are times when one must lose a battle- many battles even- to win the war.” A heavy silence fell over the cabin, each lost in their own thoughts. Nerr, not appreciating where her thoughts were turning, spoke up again.

 

“You now know the gist of our plan, Camilla. What say you, sister? Will you join us?” Mournful eyes stared at her for a long while, before lowering to the ground.

“No.”

“Why not?!” She hated how whiny she sounded, but could do nothing to stop it. “Do you still not believe me?!”

“What? No! Of course I believe you, dearest. There's no way _you_ could come up with a lie this elaborate. I _want_ to accompany you; it hurts my heart to think of you all alone, surrounded by Hoshidans and the help... but more than you, I fear for Elise. The rest of us have missions to go out on. She's left alone in the castle. With Father... _and_ his volatile moods.”

“I understand entirely. You're right- it is better for you to remain close enough to keep an eye on her.”

 

Camilla sighed deeply. With her hair limp, slouching over and shoulders slumped, she looked nothing like the idealized standard of royal beauty and perfection Nerr had always seen her as. In that moment, she didn't even look like a princess; just a sad, broken down woman that seemed much older than her scant twenty two years. For so long, she had envied her siblings for having a freedom she could only dream of. It wasn't until that very moment that she realized they were as much captives as she was. Their cages may not have been stone and magic, but they had been crafted by their father just the same as hers. The thought of breaking that metaphorical cage, of freeing them, her people, everyone... it glowed bright in her mind for the briefest moment, like an ember... and was snuffed out just as quickly as one.

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A/N- Did I mention how much I _love_ having characters actually _talk_ about shit instead of hitting each other with pointy sticks and just deciding the person who won was right all along? I swear to god, I could write this whole story without a single battle and I'd be happy with that... but fuck that noise! This is a story about war! So, hey- did you know that Selena canonically knows who Anankos is? Well, if you only played Revelation- _the story about him_ \- you sure as hell didn't because the writers at IntSys **didn't think** **that was a plot point they needed to address.**

Disgust at IntSys' terrible writing aside, I've done something terrible of my own (I consider it a birthday present to myself). I've been imagining TRNT as a live action adaptation, and, as with all shitty fanfic writers, I've already cast the main characters in my head. By which I mean Nerr and Gunther. You can laugh at them here: http:// silvershadow1711. tumblr. com/ post/ 178207516210/


	10. Perspective

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Ch.10- “Perspective”

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“ _Here comes a thought that might alarm me...”_

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It would take at least another day and night before they reached Notre Sagesse, but it was far from a restful journey. At least for Nerr. She didn't know what the Hoshidans were doing, but she didn't hear any pandemonium from the upper levels of the ship, so they must not have been doing anything _too_ horrible. Camilla was musing to her retainers about needing to find a body once they reached the mainland. Her stomach dropped immediately.

 

“What do you need a body for, sister...?”

“For Father, of course. I can't exactly go back home and tell him you're still alive- he'll have my head on a pike. But not to worry, dearest; I'll just cut the head off some vagrant and set it on fire. He'll never know it's not you.”

“That's terrible! You can't kill an innocent person over this!!!” The older woman waved her hand nonchalantly.

“Of course I could, darling. But that wasn't my intention. Now that the weather is growing colder, there are dead bodies piling up underfoot. I doubt they'll miss their head once they've starved to death.” Somehow, _that_ made her feel worse than the thought of her sister creeping into a dark alley and slaughtering some poor prostitute. Camilla spoke of people wasting away from hunger as though it was simply the leaves changing color.

 

“Isn't there something you all can do about that, Camilla? What does it say when our people are dropping like flies because they have no food?”

“We _do_ , Nerr. The castle cooks pass out scraps to the poor, and Father's already ordered the price of bread be lowered once. Not that it was appreciated... You'd think Windmire was populated with savages the way they riot.” The disdain in her voice made Nerr sick. She could feel her own stomach growling. Just the thought of winter brought back the memory of years worth empty bellies.

“They were hungry, sister. They deserve pity, not scorn.” The lilac-haired woman sighed, looking _her_ over with pity.

 

“You've such a gentle heart, Nerr. If you were queen, I'm certain the smallfolk would love you... before they ran all over you and had you deposed. Xander is right, darling- kindness will only come back to haunt you.”

“I'm well aware of that, Camilla.” She replied tersely. “Since you're a veritable fount of knowledge right now, perhaps you can advise me on something more useful?”

“Of course, dearest!” Despite Nerr's snark, the older princess perked up at once. “Now, if you're dealing with- _ahem_ \- unwanted advances, the quickest way to nip them in the bud is to drive your knee into that libertine's testicles until you feel something pop.”

 

Nerr wasn't sure if it was the absurd disconnect between the topic and the situation, the casual ease with which Camilla uttered those words, or the looks of nauseated horror Gunther and Jakob shared, but she found herself trying- and failing- to contain a wholly inappropriate howl of laughter. She'd have felt worse if she had been alone in her amusement. From behind her, Azura snickered behind her hand.

 

“My,” She began, fighting a smile. “That certainly is a... Nohrian way of dealing with things.”

“It's the best way, dear. It's just a shame that you couldn't learn it. I daresay those Hoshidans would probably tell you to hug your way out of an assault, or something equally foolish.” The singer's grin dimmed a bit.

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm not mistaken, am I? You are Azura, yes? Queen Arete's daughter?” Azura went stiff, her face blank, though turmoil brewed behind her eyes.

“I am.” Camilla sighed, smiling in a way that didn't look remotely happy.

 

“Of course you are. You look like her. ...Father told us you were dead. He said the Hoshidans killed you. I suppose even his own children are pawns in the grand scheme of things...”

“I didn't think you would remember me.”

“Of course I remember all my pretty little sisters. There's just no point in thinking about the dead ones.” A pensive silence fell over them again, broken only by the soft creaking of the ship as it was rocked by the waves. The eldest princess straightened, wearing a forced smile. “Enough of this doom and gloom. There was something you wanted to ask me, sweetling?”

 

“Huh? Oh. Right. We spoke to a... prophet of sorts in Izumo, and we were told 'go to the dragon'. Do you have any idea what that might refer to?” Camilla tittered.

“A prophet? Surely you don't believe the words of charlatans?”

“I do.” Nerr told her sternly. The older woman bit her lip, thinking hard on the question.

“Hmmm... well, there are shrines, statues. They say Fort Dragonfall was built on the remains of the Dusk Dragon himself. It could be one of those. I'm sorry, Nerr- solving riddles was never my forte. This is the kind of thing Leo would have an answer for.”

 

“I doubt Izana-sama was talking about a statue.” Azura muttered. “I still think his fortune had something to do with the Yatogami.”

“The Hero of Lore.” Several pairs of eyes focused on Flora. Her eyes were still closed, but she moved her lips as though she were talking to herself.

“What?”

“The hero fated to save the world carried a golden sword that was blessed by the gods themselves.” One had to strain their ears to hear her words, slurred as they were.

 

“What's she talking about?”

“Oh. That. It's nothing.” Felicia clarified as her sister slipped back out of consciousness. “It's just a folktale passed down in our tribe.”

“Well, it's a bullshit folktale.” Nerr spat, a bit more bitter than one should have been at a fairytale perhaps, but she couldn't shake the feeling that said fairytale was a direct attack on her. She never had to hear any legends about Xander or Leo's weapons (and if there were any, she would not have heard the end of them). The more she heard people extol the damned sword, the more she was tempted to take it to a pawnbroker the second they made port.

 

“You're right. I always thought it was a badly written story. I mean, who wants to hear about some perfect hero who topples every enemy in his path and overcomes every obstacle without even trying? You'd think the philosophers who write that trash would understand conflict a bit better.” Camilla gasped. Nerr hoped she wasn't upset that Felicia was disparaging authors of classical literature, but she looked much too excited for that to be the case.

“Philosophers! That's brilliant! Since you're getting off in Notre Sagesse, you can seek out the Rainbow Sage. _He_ should have an answer for your stupid riddle.”

“The who-what?”

“Rainbow Sage, dear. He's one of the last great philosophers living on the island.” Gunther scoffed under his breath.

 

“Strange that you don't denounce _that_ form of charlatanry...”

“Well, he seems legitimate enough to draw in a powerful audience. As far as I know, Father _and_ Emperor Sumeragi sought out his wisdom. In fact, just a few weeks ago, Xander paid him a visit. He didn't say what they discussed, but whatever enlightenment he found seemed to spur him on to fight twice as hard in the skirmish at Dragonfall.” Nerr frowned pensively.

“I suppose it can't hurt, since we'll be in the area either way. Thank you, sister.”

000

 

It was clear they were in Nohr again as the morning was still dark, but this far south barely felt like Nohr at all. The rising sun only cast the sky in misty gray, but Nerr was still convinced it should look like the middle of the night. She could see houses far off in the distance, plumes of smoke rising from their chimneys. It would only be a few more hours until they docked and she and her sister parted ways. Camilla had informed her that while _she_ would leave the Hoshidans in her traveling party well enough alone (“Unless you _want_ me to kill them?”), she could give no orders to any other soldiers to do the same. If they had any sense, the older princess continued, they would put their weapons away and disguise themselves as merchants. There was nothing suspicious about merchants in port towns. Nerr filed that idea away for later, wondering how she could could get Takumi to stop yelling long enough to get to Chevalier and back.

 

It felt almost... wrong to think so badly of him when he _had_ all but saved her life earlier, but he was just _soooo_ unpleasant. ' _Besides,'_ She mused as she wander the deck. ' _He probably wasn't even thinking about you. He just wanted a chance to kill a Nohrian and missed...'_ It was surprising that he hadn't taken a second shot. She knew from hearing the massacre in Izumo that he was a quick enough draw to loose arrows in rapid succession. Stopping, Nerr shook her head to clear it, wishing she hadn't as pain bloomed behind her eyes. She reached up, cradling her skull, and winced as something hard and sharp dug into her left hand. She unclipped the hairpin just over her ear. It took a bit of work, what with her hair as matted and tangled as it was, and also due to the clasp being stuck fast. Surprisingly well made for a cheap little trinket. Polishing it lightly on her tights, she allowed herself a moment to think not of wars and gods, but the silly fantasies that clouded her mind when she struggled to care about her studies. Maybe one day, if she lived to see the end of the war, she could see a real live butterfly, not a silk imitation or a corpse with a pin stuck through it.

 

...she missed the days when dreams like that seemed like inevitabilities rather than impossible fantasies. Sighing, she turned around, preparing to head back down to the cabins to pack up her belongings when a sharp glint blinded her. Crying out, she rubbed her eyes until the darkness turned red, blinking hard as she opened them again. There wasn't much for the weak sunlight to reflect off of... save for the silver embossing on Gunther's armor. Nerr felt her heart pound erratically, and she dug her nails into her thigh to calm herself. _'Gods, why must you torture me...?'_ They played a cruel joke on her when they thought to put a lovelorn milkmaid into the body of princess. The hairpin cut into her palm as she squeezed it, but that was probably for the best. As long as some kind of discomfort was grounding her, she wouldn't say anything stupid. Forcing her shoulders to relax, she made her way over to her retainer, desperately willing herself to walk like a human person, dammit!

 

“It's a bit early to be wearing armor, isn't it Gunther? Or did you just sleep in it?”

“It's never too early to don one's armor, my lady. Especially in trying times such as these. Who knows when when we'll be struck by another surprise attack?” Gunther glanced down at her. “Considering you're up as early as you are, perhaps you should put on yours as well?”

“I don't want to.” She whined. “It digs into my stomach.” A part of her expected the knight to make a remark akin to “well, some training might be in order if you can't even fit into your cuirass anymore”, but to her surprise, no such dig came. He turned to face her properly, his discomfited expression out of place.

 

“My apologies, Lady Nerr. It continuously slips my mind that you're injured. After so many years of witnessing you brush off injuries, I suppose I've taken it for granted that you aren't indestructible. Perhaps I should be more gentle with you?” Nerr at once felt her heart flutter and stomach churn. All things considered, she deemed the latter the appropriate response to such a thing, and pulled a face.

“Gentle? _You?_ Who are you and what have you done with my retainer? You should be telling me to run laps right now!” A dark, terrible thought ran through her mind. “Unless you think I've grown weak?” Gods above, that was it, wasn't it? He had seen her founder in battle and realized with disgust that all his time and effort spent training her had been for naught. What kind of soldier left them self so open in the middle of battle that they got them self vivisected? The mere memory of her recklessness, her stupidity, made her sick. She barely heard Gunther speak over the roar of her own thoughts.

 

“Of course not, my lady. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have handled yourself exceptionally well, even in horrifying situations many veteran soldiers would balk at.” He placed a hand atop her head. “I'm very proud of you.” Nerr bowed her head. The warm, familiar weight was not so comforting as she remembered it to be. It was a good thing they were alone; Camilla would be aghast to see her show such weakness to someone of a lower standing than her, but she was more ashamed of the tears burning her eyes than any societal faux pas. His words made her happy... and at the same time, very sad. She was being stupid, she told herself as she fought with her constricted throat. This was a good thing. Yes, he was just impressed with how well she maimed and killed and didn't die, but... really, what more could she hope for? Swallowing, she worked her face back into a smile before looking back up.

 

“That means everything coming from you, Gunther. Truly. ...sometimes, I feel as if I'm doing everything wrong, but if you think my performance is adequate, then it must be so.”

“You are far more than adequate, my lady. It is a joy and an honor serving under you.” Between his quiet voice and his words, the princess couldn't help the burning in her cheeks. He probably thought she was losing her mind. She forced herself to laugh, to find the situation funny.

“Be careful, Gunther- if you keep saying things like that I might--” She trailed off as the older knight quickly backed away two paces. “What?”

 

“...you aren't going to try to knee me in the testicles, are you?” Nerr stared at him for a moment, before choking on a loud snort of laughter. She doubled over immediately, agony radiating through her stomach as a result of her amusement.

“Ow... gods. What? No. ... _what?_ ” Gunther shook his head, turning his attention back over the water.

“Nothing. Forgive me, my lady. My mind is a bit preoccupied being back here; I'm not thinking before I speak.” Groaning, trying to keep her aching muscles as still as possible, the girl straightened.

“ 'Back'? You've been here before?”

“I've been everywhere before. I accompanied King Garon here once, decades ago.” She gasped slightly.

 

“Were you with him when he met this Rainbow Sage?” Gunther's brows furrowed as the corners of his lips turned down into a deep frown.

“I was with him long enough to know a waste of time when I saw it. There was no question answered, no enlightenment gained.” Nerr pressed her lips together as she fell into thought. It did seem strange that someone like Garon would seek out a philosopher. She hadn't pegged the Nohrian king as someone concerned with the deeper meaning of things. Xander, perhaps. But then again, she did not need care about existential matters either.

“I don't need enlightenment. I need to figure out what 'dragon' I'm looking for. If he's as wise as people seem to assume he is, he should be able to give me a specific statue or shrine.” The knight scoffed quietly, his voice almost lost on the breeze.

“That's about all you'd get out of him...”

000

 

It was day proper when they reached the docks. Nerr found herself more than a little unbalanced as she made her way through the equally wobbly Hoshidans over to her sister. Camilla pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace.

 

“Ohhhh...! Be so careful, Nerr. If you find yourself in a skirmish against our troops, just run. You don't need to be a hero for those savages.”

“Trust me, Camilla.” She gasped, trying to keep her face from being smothered. “I'm no hero.” With reluctance on both sides, the women separated. The older of them reached into her cloak and pulled out a coin purse, filled to bursting. She pressed it into Nerr's hands.

“Take this, darling. I had hoped your first tour of Nohr would have you enjoying all the luxuries a princess is due, but I'm afraid that whoreson Iago has made it very clear that you aren't meant to be seen as royalty to our people. You'll have to slum it up a bit.”

“...sister. I've eaten rats in the Citadel. I'm not missing much these days, believe you me.” Camilla sallowed at her blunt assertion.

 

“Well... hopefully you can buy a better meal with that. We've only stopped here to let the merchants off, so I don't know when we'll see each other again.”

“Hopefully, it will be soon. I'd ask you to give Elise my love, but that might not be wise, so just... give her an extra hug from me, okay?” Her sister cupped her cheek tenderly.

“You don't even need to ask.” Sighing, Nerr looked over at Felicia, who had disembarked to to stretch.

“Felicia.”

 

“Hmm?” At once, the maid was standing before her, nearly tripping over a coil of rope in her haste. “Yes, Lady Nerr?”

“It looks like I'm going to need _you_ to keep an eye on everything for me now. Can you do that?”

“Aw geez... I don't know... I kind of broke a lot of plates that first night when you left.” Smiling sincerely, the princess gave her a pat on the back.

“Perfect. I don't know what I'd do if I came back to the Citadel one day and we had enough plates to go around.” Felicia laughed cheerfully.

 

“Well, I promise not to burn anything down at least.” Though her smile remained, some of the lightheartedness in her eyes dulled. “...be safe, Lady Nerr.”

“I will.” She heard footsteps approaching and turned just as a thin hand touched her shoulder.

“Nerr? We need to go. Who knows how long it will take us to find the Sage...”

“I'm coming.” If allowed the chance, she would've remained where she was for ages, dragging out her goodbyes until forcibly made to stop. Not trusting herself to launch into more time-wasting drivel, Nerr inclined her head towards the women and turned away.

 

It was funny... in an upsetting, not-very-funny-at-all kind of way. Despite thinking of one of them as her “sister” and the other as her maid, she was no more related to Camilla than Felicia. The thought made her sad... but at the same time, there was a tiny spark of something comforting with that as well. Even when she thought she shared blood with the Nohrian royals, she had considered those she lived with in the Citadel just as much her family. And even now, knowing what she did, nothing she felt had changed. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Azura snapping her fingers not two inches from her face.

 

“Nerr. Are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Oh. No. What were you saying?” The singer sighed, shaking her head.

“I told the others about this Rainbow Sage. We'll probably have to ask around town to see if anyone knows where we can find him, so we're going to split up into groups. We don't want anyone getting suspicious about a unit of Hoshidan soldiers roaming around.” While she spoke, they had reached the others. It seemed that already, their motley crew was earning strange looks from the fishermen that readied their gear. If he was at all bothered by the stares, Takumi didn't show it, crossing his arms over his chest as he scowled.

 

“Are you finally done wasting everyone's time talking to the anyans?”

“Nobody's making you wait for me.” She sniped. “Take your retainers and go look around- you don't need me to hold your hand.” Azura stepped between them as they glared at each other.

“We'll go in groups of three. Takumi with his retainers, you with yours, Sakura with hers, and I'll go with Kaze and Yuugiri-san. We can meet up here in twenty or so minutes.” She barely had time to finish her sentence before the prince took off down one of the nearest alleys, his female retainer all but nipping at his heels. The male samurai spared Azura a look and hapless shrug before following his liege. Sakura seemed far less eager to break away from the larger group.

 

“A-are you sure it's safe to split up? What if-- what if there are Nohrian soldiers here?”

“Then we'll just cut them down!” The pink-clad samurai asserted confidently. Nerr could not help the sneer that twisted her lips as she glowered at the younger girl.

“Aren't you supposed to keep Sakura _safe?_ Because it seems like your first instinct is to put her in as much danger as possible. If you came across Nohrian soldiers, you'd be immensely outnumbered. And if you attacked them, after they killed you they'd go straight for your liege.” A low chuckle drew her attention to the eldest woman in the midst.

 

“I'm sure by then we'd hear Sakura-sama's screams halfway across the island. Then we could all converge on that location and ambush any soldiers still remaining.” Despite her smile growing wider the longer she spoke, her dark blue eyes seemed to grow more and more empty. It was hard to believe there was a human soul behind them. It reminded her almost of Hans in a way... Before she could speak (or else, wrap her hands around anyone's throat without thinking), the young princess' other retainer cleared his throat.

“ _Or_ we could take a pragmatic approach and _NOT_ draw more attention to ourselves. Don't worry, Sakura-sama. As long as we don't act suspicious- _Hana_ \- even if there are Nohrians soldiers here, they won't bother us.” Despite his calm, reassuring voice, Sakura didn't seem very convinced.

“But... what if they _do?_ ”

“Any soldiers stationed here wouldn't waste their time bothering you unless you forced their hand, Lady Sakura.” The princess' brows furrowed as she looked up at Gunther.

“R-really?”

 

“Yes. Believe me; infantry grunts stationed in the middle of nowhere are not looking to die.”

“So don't _yo_ _u_ go attacking anyone either.” Nerr directed her censure mostly in Yuugiri's directions, not that the older woman seemed to notice, much less care.

“I suppose I can resist a while longer~” It was no small relief when the Hoshidans warriors followed Azura and disappeared behind one of the the many houses, Sakura's retainers nearly pulling the reluctant princess in another direction. Nerr looked around the docks. People were beginning to leave their homes, with tools and baskets of food and children. Going about their lives. There was only one direction not yet chosen by the others, so with a look towards her retainers, she took off towards the east with them in tow.

000

 

This was the first time in Nerr's life that she had actually interacted with a city center. When she had passed through Windmire two moths ago, that was all that had happened; they'd passed through. The city had been unnaturally empty at the time, which she had chalked up to them being there in the ungodly hours of the morning. In Shirasagi, she had been too focused on escaping first and the massive slaughter later to actually pay attention to anything else. It was at once an exhilarating experience as well as nerve wracking to walk around speaking to people.

 

The residents of Notre Sagesse did not give them strange looks like they had received in Hoshido when they were approached (which of course they didn't; what was strange about Nohrians in a Nohrian duchy?). In fact, it was quite the opposite. Nearly everyone was... dare she say it? Pleasant, and even those that seemed miffed at being disturbed were still respectful. It was almost the way it had been in Izumo, only there, despite what Azura had said, she was still convinced the Izumites only acted that way because they were hosting royalty. With her dirty, plain clothes and cheap armor, Nerr was certain she looked nothing like a person of any influence. And yet, she was met with a sense of... familiarity. It left her cheered even though their inquiries ultimately went nowhere. Every person they asked about the sage told them they didn't know what they were talking about, or else that it was just a rumor and no philosophers had lived on the island for decades.

 

“That's bullshit.” Jakob muttered bitterly once the mother she had just asked had lead her child far out of earshot. “Lady Camilla said Prince Xander _just_ came here only a few weeks ago. Unless there's another Notre Sagesse I'm not privy to?” It _was_ frustrating that they were hitting dead end after dead end... at least, to her and Jakob. Gunther seemed wholly unconcerned that after more than fifteen minutes of wandering around they had accomplished nothing. She, at the very least, expected him to be upset that they were wasting time, but no. He seemed unnaturally aloof, causing her to recall his unusual dismissive nature regarding the Sage when Camilla had first mentioned him. She approached the knight, hoping she wasn't about to trigger an ill humor.

 

“ _You_ wouldn't by any chance have an idea where we could find this Sage, would you Gunther?” He met her gaze with something that would have looked like defiance in another person.

“No.”

“But you came here with Father; you said you went with him! How could you forget a renowned philosopher?”

“You wholly overestimate how much I care about certain things, Lady Nerr.” Though his tone remained even, the way his eyes flashed was proof enough that she had struck a nerve. “When I came here with King Garon- almost four decades ago, mind you- the 'Rainbow Sage' was seated on the side of the road like a filthy vagrant. Not someone I deemed worthy of wasting my time remembering.” She couldn't but flinch as his voice grew more upset with every word, her stomach protesting as soon as she did so. Jakob scowled at him, but his attention was drawn away by something else.

 

“Well, _he_ looks like a vagrant, so I suppose it can't hurt to ask him.” He walked over to one of the wider alleys. Nerr hadn't even noticed the dark figure leaning against the stone wall until her steward stood over him. “Excuse me.” He was met with no reply, and his eyes narrowed. “ _Excuse me_.”

“Hohoho, you're excused, young man.” The princess pushed her steward aside before he could say any of the choice words he was clearly considering.

“Um, sir? Could we trouble you for some information?” The elderly man opened his eyes, and she shuddered. Despite his frail, stooped appearance, there was something in his eyes that didn't seem to belong to an old man. He stared through her, as though she were cracked glass.

 

“Of course, my dear, though I don't know how much help I could possibly be.” His benign, toothless smile did little to ease her discomfort.

“We've heard of a man known as the Rainbow Sage who hails from here apparently. Do you know where we might find him?” The vagabond laughed heartily.

“The Rainbow Sage? Now, why would a pretty little thing like you be chasing after silly old fairytales?”

“We need to ask him a question.” Though his smile remained, the stormy eyes gazing up at her shifted slightly. To what emotion, she could not quite put her finger on.

 

“Ahh, a scholarly traveler, then. We don't often get those type around here... Well, I can't give you any definitive information, but it's said the sage you're looking for resides in the Sevenfold Sanctuary.”

“And that would be...?” Jakob drawled. The old man lifted a badly shaking hand, pointing far above the roofs. They followed his direction, and Nerr could not help the whimper that escaped her lips as she took note of the massive peak that served as focal point for the island. She had noticed it only in passing earlier, never assuming it to be more than an unremarkable landmark.

“Up _there?_ ”

 

“Indeed. Most people who attempt to scale it's peak never even make it to the top, so if the rumors are true and that _is_ where the sage has taken up residence, I can only assume it's because he doesn't want to be bothered.” His lips turned down, the deep lines carved into his face made even deeper as he fixed her with a stern look. “The risk far outweighs the reward, child, especially for a blind faith venture. Whatever question you have cannot be so important as to cost your life discovering the answer.”

“I agree wholeheartedly, my lady. This is a waste of time and resources. We could catch a ferry to Dia and be well on our way to Chevalier by the time we made it halfway up that deathtrap.” He was right. And the thought of making that climb was already making the sutures on her stomach ache.

“...at the very least, let's tell the others what we've learned.” She turned back to the old man. “Thank you, sir.”

“Hohoho. You can thank me by not dying should you choose to make your way up there.”

 

Takumi and his retainers were already standing by the docks when they arrived. Hearing their footsteps, he turned, something akin to anticipation on his face until he noticed her. She was hardly surprised to see him pointedly turn his back on her, simply rolling her eyes slightly as she leaned against a stack of crates, undoubtedly a shipment from somewhere. The little bit of walking she had done thus far was already taxing her more than she'd have ever expected. But despite her pain, despite the possibility of a daunting task ahead, she wasn't as consumed with dread and gloom as she half expected herself to be. Perhaps it was the sound of the waves lapping against the docks, or the new smells, or simply the feeling of being _home_ even though she was hundreds of miles from home.

 

She found herself humming under her breath, an interlude from Ondine's Lament as she waited for the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she _thought_ she saw the Hoshidan prince glance back at her, but when she looked up, he was staunchly looking away. He'd probably been about to tell her to shut up, then thought better of it while she was flanked with two large men carrying sharp weapons. Nerr never thought she'd be so relieved to see Azura, but when the singer appeared, Sakura in tow, it was as though the uncomfortable tension had been broken at once.

 

“We couldn't find anyone who knew anything.” She lamented.

“U-us either. And we asked at least a dozen p-people...”

“I wasn't expecting Nohrians to be helpful in the first place. Even if they knew anything, it's not like they'd tell us.” The singer fixed her gaze on the other princess.

“You wouldn't have happened to fare any better than us, would you, Nerr?”

 

“I did, actually. If he's here, he's up there.” She pointed to the sanctuary, and just as she had when she first took note of it, the majority of the Hoshidans blanched. Kaze frowned slightly, looking back to the the young woman.

“What do you mean 'if', Nerr-sama?”

“I mean just that. _If_ he's real and not just a legend, we'll probably find him in the sanctuary atop that mountain.”

“Who would be suicidal enough to climb that thing!?” Takumi raged. “It's gotta be a thousand feet! That's not worth it for a fucking question!”

 

“Then you're more than welcome to stay down here and guard our things, Takumi.” Azura of all people shocked them by stepping forward, her expression hard as she looked at her brother. “You don't understand what's at stake here. You _can't,_ because you haven't born witness to what can happen. Shirasagi? That wasn't even a _taste_ of what lies in store for us when Anankos has free reign over our lands. Nohr and Hoshido won't even have a chance to wipe each other out. The gods gave us a clue, and I intend to get answers.” Her legs moving of their own accord, Nerr walked over to stand beside her.

 

“My lady, no! You can't exert yourself injured as you are; this is madness!” She wasn't sure if Gunther's disapproval was born of worry or else, frustration that she was pointedly ignoring his warnings.

“No more madness than willfullyfighting to the death in a war that won't even achieve anything. I would die for Nohr on the battlefield; how is dying on a mountain so much worse? If you wish to stay here, I'll not begrudge your decision. In fact, it might be wise if some of you stay behind regardless.” She could practically hear the knight grinding his teeth from where she stood. Jakob stood up straighter, crossing the distance between them in three steps and planting himself at her side.

“You are a true inspiration, my lady. _I_ would be honored to accompany you. And I agree; the old man _should_ stay here. We wouldn't want him to break a hip.” Looking as though he wanted nothing more than to throw the steward into the ocean, Gunther approached them as well. Nerr could not help the wry grin tugging at her lips.

“Are you coming because I swayed your heart, or because you want to gloat if it turns out we really are wasting our time?”

“Yes.” Well, that was good enough for her. Biting her lip, Sakura moved to stand beside Azura, half hiding behind her legs.

 

“I-- I'm coming too.” Takumi let out a loud, long suffering groan.

“ _Gods_ , can you two ever just be _normal_? Everything is so melodramatic with you.”

“I'm sorry that war is too 'melodramatic' for your liking, Takumi.” Azura snipped. Just a few weeks ago, it would've been impossible to imagine her being short with the Hoshidans, especially her brother. Nerr wondered if maybe being around Nohrians wasn't bringing out some latent Nohrian instinct, or else, if she was just realizing how very annoying the prince truly was. The truly surprising thing was that he actually looked abashed at being called out. If _she_ had said something like that, he would've just gotten upset. Perhaps there was hope for him being kept in check if nothing else.

 

“Well, let's go. We're burning daylight, and the last thing we need is to be caught on that mountain when it gets dark.

000

 

All things considered, Mount Sagesse wasn't nearly as terrible as she had been expecting. It wasn't a vertical climb that would have them hanging from inch-wide ledges. Really, it was almost exactly like the path leading to the Northern Citadel... a steep, narrow path sandwiched between a jagged cliff face on one side and a sheer drop on the other. Were it not for her stomach screaming bloody agony after the first twenty minutes of walking, she would've found it enjoyable. The wind was sharp, especially so high up, but the sun, though weaker than it was in Hoshido, was warm on her skin. It was an amazing experience. She could imagine living here (at least as a vacation home), having the having a homein the sun rather than up north where it was always dark... The clattering of steel plates dragged her from her thoughts, and she looked over as Gunther as he lead Caractacus by the reins. She could hear water sloshing in the saddlebags.

 

“How are you faring, my lady?”

“Ehh... better than _them_.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, where the Hoshidans were lagging far behind. Sakura had tripped at least twice and was currently sitting behind Tsubaki as he flew ahead of them. It was a shame Takumi hadn't been taken ahead as well, because he was currently complaining at the top of his lungs.

 

“ _Why is this so steep!?_ ” He was so caught up in his rant that he didn't notice the terrain becoming more uneven, his foot catching on a loose rock and slipping out from underneath him, sending him stumbling back. His retainers caught him before he could go tumbling back down the mountain (unfortunately).

“Whoa! Are you okay, Takumi-san?”

“Maybe you should ride with Yuugiri-san?”

“Indeed!” The older woman swooped down, her mount (some strange creature called a “Kinshi” if Nerr wasn't mistaken?) kicking up massive dust clouds as it fought to stay aloft. “The view is stunning from so for up. I can even see the remains of other climbers who must have fallen down decades ago! You would love it, Takumi-san~”

 

“NO!! Why is everything in this gods-forsaken kingdom so awful!?”

“He just won't stop screaming...” Jakob grumbled as he turned to look down at the Hoshidans, both literally and figuratively. “For the love of the gods, shut the fuck up. Oh! Forgive my language, milady!”

“There's nothing to forgive since I feel the exact same way. I actually saw Azura shivering when I passed her. I swear, Hoshidans fall apart at the first sign of-- Ahh! Oh...” She doubled over as a sharp burst of pain tore through her midsection. It felt like someone was working a knife through her. Jakob held her shoulders as she panted.

 

“Milady, you should sit down. You're already pushing yourself more than I'd like.” Pressing her lips together lest she scream, Nerr shook her head. It took a few seconds before she could speak.

“No... I can rest when we get to the top. It's not that much further.”

“Then you should ride with someone, my lady. You'd get there faster if Dame Yuugiri carried you.” The princess pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth, not to silence a cry of pain, but the one born of anger that was working it's way up her throat. _Dame_ Yuugiri? She'd never heard him say “Dame” Hana or “Dame” Oboro. Since when did he consider Hoshidans on par with proper knights?

 

“I think not.” She said, her tone colder than she would have liked. “ _Dame_ Yuugiri appears to be several cards short of a deck. I'd trust her to dive headlong into the ground just as much as I'd trust her not to.”

“Then you can ride Caractacus.” If Gunther thought there was anything strange about her sudden standoffishness, he didn't show it. Before she could think to protest, the older man had grabbed her around the ribs and lifted her off the ground. Shock and fear at suddenly feeling naught but air beneath her feet gave voice to a short, startled cry, but just as quickly as he had lifted her he had sat her down atop the saddle.

 

“Warn me when you do that!!”

“My apologies, my lady. I didn't want to give you the chance to refuse.” Gunther took hold of the reins once more, leading the charger up the ever uneven incline. “...I don't recall you ever getting upset that I've lifted you up in the past.” Nerr was grateful his back was to her as she felt her ears burn.

“Because I was a child. And it wasn't unexpected back then; you picked me up when I couldn't reach something.” _'And whenever I wanted you to...'_

 

Perhaps it was a result of being surrounded by people who were so much taller than her, but Nerr distinctly remembered demanding to be picked up by everyone at all times. Xander only indulged her once or twice, and while Camilla had been more willing to play along, she wasn't very tall (at least, not back then). Jakob had _tried_ to lift her, especially when she wanted to reach books or toys on taller shelves, but as young as he was, the butler could never lift her more than an inch or so off the ground. ...it was always best when Gunther did it. He was so big and strong, more so than anyone else in her eyes, even her father who she only remembered back then as a tall, dark, threatening figure looming over her. Sitting on his shoulders, or being held in one arm while he rummaged for something with the other, was the closest she could ever come to being tall.

 

And just like everything else from that time, it too stopped one day, though at least she understood that it was because she had gotten too big and he most likely too old. She didn't even think he was capable of still lifting her, but her knight was always full of surprises. Even now, his hands were still able to wrap almost completely around her ribs. It made her feel like a child... a stupid, bitter, disgusting child. The stitches on her stomach felt warm, and wet. Reaching under her sweater, she pressed her fingers against the wrappings there, frowning as they came away dotted with red. ' _Useless too..._ _'_

 

It had taken a good hour for them to reach the summit. The Hoshidans collapsed onto the ground, panting and groaning in pain. Oboro had stumbled off to one side, gaging in between fits of coughing. While her retainers looked more than a bit flushed, they were hardly out of breath. Her stomach still hurt, and Nerr decided that as long as the others weren't going anywhere any time fast, she too could rest a bit longer. She stared up at the supposed Sanctuary. It stood tall, it's roof seeming to touch the sky. The smooth, white walls sparkled a little- maybe there were flecks of quartz in the stone. Two stone pillars, standing opposite of each other, served as an entryway. She could see something written on them, but even with her unusually sharp eyes, she could not tell what it was.

 

Biting her lip, the princess slid off the saddle, trying to land as slowly as she could. She took small steps, not wanting to tempt her already sore muscles. The pillars were twice as tall as she was, worn smooth by time. Who knew how many years they had stood there, how many wars they had withstood? The wind and rain that had worn down the stone also wore down the characters engraved within it, but she could make out just enough of the shallow marks. She recognized them from her books, the ancient language Nohrians spoke millenia ago. Being that old, she wasn't even sure how the words would sound spoken aloud, but she knew them visually. _Leave now, lest you be of desires pure_. What nonsense. It sounded like a silly threat an older sibling would make up to keep younger family away from their room. Even if it was meant as a deterrent for... whoever would make a hour long trek to come to a sanctum for impure purposes, who would even be able to read it? The royal family, some well-read nobles perhaps, a few scholars? What was the point? It made her more than a little uncomfortable. Azura approached her, looking at the pillars as well, a slight frown on her face. If she understood it's message, she didn't say anything, instead turning to the others.

 

“Has everyone caught their breath?”

“No...” Sakura groaned.

“Well, you can rest once we're inside.” Jakob straightened and began walking towards the doors. Gunther approached the pillars, making no attempt to read it's warning and instead, tying Caractacus' reins around one.

 

“Do you need help walking, Lady Nerr?” He offered her his arm, and the princess stared at it, clenching her teeth so hard it brought on a headache anew. Standing a little straighter (and screaming in her mind as her stitches tugged), she smiled weakly and shook her head.

“I'm fine. Perhaps you should offer your arm to Takumi- I don't think he'll make it more than two steps under his own strength.” She followed her steward across the sandy path. Azura trotted to catch up to her.

“Nerr, I think it might be better if you put aside your pride, at least while you're still healing.” Still wearing that forced smile, Nerr gave the songstress a sidelong glance, speaking under her breath.

 

“I think it might be better if you bolt that trap of yours, Azura. You don't know anything.” Taking a few quick steps, the other princess overtook her, turning around to face her, a glint of... something... in her eyes. It wasn't anger, or even offense, but Nerr didn't like it either way, especially considering how at odds it was compared to her flippant tone.

“I _do_ have eyes, Nerr. And I'm not nearly as much of a fool as you take me for. But if you enjoy playing a martyr to no one but yourself, who am I to stop you?” Turning back on her heel, Azura picked up her pace, reaching Jakob. Her words turned Nerr's stomach. Partially because they pissed her off so much she could taste it- literally _taste_ it, bile rising in her throat in her anger- but mostly because it reminded her of something Flora would say. Something smug and knowing that made her feel terrible. Digging her nails into her palms, she quickened her pace.

 

The interior of the Sanctuary almost reminded her of the Izumite castle. The walls were a cool, white plaster and the floors polished wood that had more than a few scratches and scuff marks that couldn't be buffed out. Unlike the expansive Hoshidan palaces, however, this foyer was tiny. Their group, only a dozen large, could barely stand comfortably side by side. Narrow staircases, one on either side of the narrow room, led to an upper floor. Nerr bit her lip, looking between them. There was no indication where they could go, other than “up”.

 

“I guess we can split up- half of us can go one way, half the other.”

“You really think that's smart?” Takumi scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “What if the Nohrians are waiting to spring a trap on us?” The teal-haired girl turned, slowly, fixing her blood brother with a cold, deadpan stare.

“ _What_ Nohrians? The Nohrians there were _no_ signs of in town? The Nohrians there were _no_ signs of coming up here? Did you see tracks on the trail?”

“No, but--”

“If anyone was waiting to jump out and kill us, don't you think they would have had an easier time of it while we were split up wandering about empty streets and dark alleys? Stop being so paranoid. Or does 'sanctuary' mean something different in your native tongue?”

 

“You have a point, Nerr. I'll go with Sakura to the left and you and Takumi can go to the right--”

“I don't want to go with her!” The prince whined, looking as much a petulant child as he sounded. Azura, for better or worse, had absolutely no patience for his attitude.

“Too bad. Come on, Sakura.” The younger girl dashed over to her sister's side, her retainers close by and followed by Yuugiri and Kaze, the latter of which glanced back at Nerr, wordlessly asking if he should accompany the singer. She nodded, heaving a heavy sigh once his back was to her once more. In truth, she would rather have the ninja go with her and Takumi take his place, but this was hardly a situation worth getting riled up over.

 

“Well then. Shall we go?” Grumbling under his breath, the younger boy roughly pushed past her, his steps as he ascended the staircase heavy enough to knock particles of dust from the ceiling. Oboro, ever the loyal dog, nearly tripped over herself in her haste to follow her master. The way she too bumped, not only into Nerr but practically elbowing Jakob out of the way was a bit too measured to be an accident. The princess grinned cruelly as her attempt to pull the same stunt with Gunther resulted in the lancer clutching her arm as it collided with the pointed end of his couter. Her fellow retainer actually gave the Nohrians a decent berth as he passed, not out of any passive aggressive disdain, but rather, actual respect. She wondered why the other two couldn't be more like him, but even as the thought crossed her mind, it answered itself and she found herself rewording her question into how did this Hinata boy end up stuck with the likes of _them?_

 

She followed in a stewing silence, the stairs creaking under her weight. The upper floor was much larger than the one they had just came from, surprisingly so. It went off to the side far more than foyer's wall would suggest was possible, but it wasn't as though the sanctuary was built with walls that jutted out, so it must have been some kind of illusion. That seemed to be exactly what the Hoshidans were thinking, as Takumi paced over to the far end of the room, waving his hands wildly in the air as he felt around for something solid, something to indicate what the magic was hiding. His hands didn't hit anything until he reached the visible wall.

 

“How is this room bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside?” Oboro asked, frowning at the room at large as though it might give up it's secrets if it sensed how disappointed she was in it. Alas, the room remained silent. Architectural discrepancies aside, the room looked exceedingly normal. At least, it looked like what Nerr would assume was normal for a church or temple. It was dark, the only light coming from tiny windows cut high into the walls, and the candles in the corners. Their flames, though too small to cut through the gloom effectively, added a comforting warmth to the room. The darkness, the candlelight, the smell of beeswax and incense all came together to provide a genuinely tranquil atmosphere, even more so than Izumo's. She smiled, a far more honest one this time around.

 

“I can certainly see why the Rainbow Sage- or any sage for that matter- would take up residence here.”

“You would...” Takumi grumbled under his breath, skulking over to the steps in the far corner of the room. Her mood spoiled, Nerr walked quickly to catch up to him, glaring up at his retreating figure.

“Are you ever going to get over this irrational hatred you have of me?” The boy paused, his long hair whipping about as he turned to face her, scowling.

“There is nothing 'irrational' about my hatred for you. You're the same kind of Nohrian scum as the rest of them.” He stormed up the steps, and despite telling herself that she didn't care one way or the other, the princess followed him, pushing further.

 

“So everything I've done all this time, everything I've done to help your sisters, your people, that doesn't mean anything to you?”

“No!” Reaching the landing of the third floor, Takumi leaned down, blocking her from going up any further. The disgust, the loathing twisting his face made her physically uncomfortable. She had been around people who wanted her dead- even the man she called Father all her life would have preferred her as a corpse, but this... if looks could kill, Takumi would have blinked her entirely out of existence, leaving not a trace of her behind on either the mortal coil or the mental plane. “You turned your back on your family. You betrayed Hoshido the first time you tried to run. Even before you killed my mother, you made it exceptionally clear that we meant nothing to you. Every good thing you've done since then has been out of obligation, not because you _care._ You don't get credit for doing the bare minimum required of a decent human being.” Nerr stared at him for a long, long time, her face impassive despite the storm of emotions brewing inside her.

 

“...got it all out of your system? Good. Then move.” She continued walking, forcing the younger boy to get out of the way or be knocked aside. As she set foot on the cool wood, she turned to face her brother. “You need to come to terms with one thing, Takumi. I didn't turn my back on my family. My _family_ consists of the people who raised me for fifteen years. The people I laughed and cried with, the people I experienced life with. You might be my _relatives_... but you aren't my family. I'm not asking you to embrace me and call me 'sister'; just to treat me with a modicum of civility. Once we find Ryouma and explain everything to him, you can go on your merry way and forget all about the wicked bitch who ruined your life.”

 

She had expected her terms to be acceptable to the prince- after all, it wasn't like she was asking him to be _nice_. He clearly hated her, he clearly blamed her for something that wasn't (entirely) her fault, and she was... okay with that. It was a strange, unsettling feeling to be _so_ loathed, but she could live with that. What she couldn't live with was this horrid boy trying to set her on fire with his mind when she had so many other threats to worry about. Unfortunately, with every word she spoke, Takumi's face grew darker and darker. He leaned close to her, standing on his toes to reach her eye level.

 

“Nohrians aren't civil. They don't deserve civility if they can't show it.” Nerr sighed, throwing her arms up.

“I give up!” She had never given up on an argument before, but he was beyond reasoning.

 

She had tried, and failed miserably, just to come to a temporary truce. How in all the hells could she convince Xander that his father was an evil despot working with a genocidal god if she couldn't even convince a child to stop bumping into her every time he passed!? And she had a rapport with Xander, built up over fifteen years- Ryouma would be even _worse_. The ease with which Camilla and Leo had accepted her words as truth lulled her into a false sense of security, fooling her into thinking she was still at home where she could take for granted that everyone believed her. Just thinking about it was making her brain feel as though it was swelling, pressing painfully against her skull.

 

She groaned, walking over to and leaning against one of the columns that appeared to serve more as decoration than support. There were times she forgot about the gravity of the situation they were facing, and then it would all come back to her, a crushing weight she could feel digging into her shoulders and back. She paid little mind to the feet clomping up the stairs, closing her eyes as she reached up to rub at her temples. Through the haze in her mind, she could hear boots coming closer, scuffing along the wood, and as the cool, smooth metal of a gauntlet brushed against her cheek, she looked up, expecting to see Gunther standing before her. It was Jakob, the steward's brows furrowed as he appraised her with a look of concern.

 

“Are you alright, milady? You look pale. Do you need me to heal you again?” Swallowing, the princess shook her head, fixing her expression into something less worrying.

“No, I'm fine, Jakob. Just thinking about... things.” She pushed herself away from the pillar, her head spinning as she righted. At once, the butler grabbed her arms, keeping her upright even though it didn't probably didn't seem like she was all that unsteady. For the first time since she had entered the room, she actually looked around at it. In layout, it was almost the same as the floor below her, save for the pillars, and the alter against the wall.

 

Frowning, Nerr pulled away from Jakob, walking over to it. It seemed... out of place. Not because he didn't expect an alter of sorts in a church-like setting, but because given how deserted the place was, it seemed rather fresh. The flowers looked like they had only been cut a day or so ago, and despite the thick layer of melted wax on the table, the candles must have been new, only showing signs of just being lit. There must have been a caretaker in there- it wasn't as though decorations replaced themselves, and this was not enchanted fire that required no fuel to burn. She walked over to the stairs, looking up them. She saw nothing but ceiling, which of course was all she saw.

 

“Hello!” She called up into the next floor. “Hello, is anyone there??”

“My lady, what are you doing?” Gunther hissed as he quickly approached her. “Do you think it wise to go around screaming?”

“Yes?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Who are you expecting to jump out and attack us? There's clearly someone here- maybe they know where the sage is, or better yet, maybe it _is_ the sage. Hello!” Her call was answered this time. It was not a voice, however, but the sound of hard soles clattering above them. Inhaling sharply, Nerr quickly jogged up the steps, just in time to see the tail end of a dark piece of cloth disappear into the floor above. She followed after it, ignoring her retainer's cries to stop or at least wait for them. Whatever was running was fast, but it's steps were spaced too near to one another to indicate a long leg span. It sounded like tiny steps from tiny feet, reminiscent of Elise running through the halls in the Citadel. The princess stopped just as she reached the top step, dropping to her hands on the landing as a sharp pain jolted through her stomach. Clenching her teeth, Nerr groaned quietly, trying to ride out the pain. She didn't hear any more steps, but whatever had been running hadn't sounded very far away.

 

“Hmm? What's this? You don't look like the guards.” The high, soft voice that filled the room was so incongruous with the location that for a second, she thought the voice that so oft plagued her mind had decided to change just to throw her for a loop. But as the princess opened her eyes, she realized that it was not a hallucination. If that was a good thing or not, she wasn't sure yet. A young girl, perhaps a bit older than ten but not by much, stood at the base of the stairs leading up yet another floor, one foot on the first step. A long cloak pulled around her her, coupled with her long, wild hair gave her the appearance of a shadow with a face. So that was what had been running from her. A little girl, probably frightened and alone. Tamping down her discomfort, Nerr got to her feet, approaching the child slowly, her arms held wide and open, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible.

 

“It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you.” To her surprise, the girl grinned. Not a happy, relieved smile, but a cold, mocking smirk that narrowed her eyes and seemed to age her face.

“Believe me, child; you couldn't hurt me if you tried.”

“ 'Child'?!” Was this girl touched in the head? Before she could confirm it either way, heavy thumping shook the floor as Jakob and Gunther ran into the room, nearly barreling her over in their haste.

“Lady Nerr, are you mad?! You can't just run off like that!”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Just because this place is called a Sanctuary doesn't mean there can't be enemies here!”

 

“Your knight companion is correct, girl.” The brunette lowered her foot, turning to face Nerr properly. She wore a veil, and beneath the sheer fabric, dark marks stood out against her cheeks. There was something dark in her eyes as well, something that looked wrong in a child. Even the way she spoke was... too calm. Too collected. Even with her eloquence lessons, Elise still had trouble getting through a formal greeting without breaking down giggling. “This place is no asylum for weary travelers. Only the desperate willingly come here, those with little left to lose.”

“Oh?” Jakob drawled, as the Hoshidans huffed and puffed their way up the stairs. “And why are _you_ here, little girl?” She frowned. Not a pout, not an angry huff- a disapproving glare that could give Gunther's a run for it's money, the kind of look that conveyed “because I said so” in a way words never could. The sight of that expression on so youthful a face made Nerr's skin crawl. She was already liking this place less and less.

 

“I do believe I just explained why people come here. Do you have cotton in your ears, boy? I suggest you leave, you _and_ your Hoshidan friends. The higher you ascend, the more likely it is you'll alert the guards, and I've already had to duck them once today. I'd rather not have to do it again.”

“Wait, what guards?” Hinata pushed his way forward, wiping the sweat off his brow and shaking his hand. The dark girl's face screwed up in disgust as she backed away from the offending droplets. “I thought lots of people came here?”

“Lots of people visit the royal palace; that doesn't mean they're all welcome.” Nerr frowned.

“We aren't robbing the place- we simply seek to find the Rainbow Sage.” The girl let out a shrill bark of laughter.

 

“For what? Are you hoping for some magical solution to your problems? Because you certainly won't find them here. Cut your losses, girl; you've your whole life ahead of you. There's no point in cutting it short in this cesspool of misery and shattered hopes.” Gunther gave the princess a look so pointed, she could practically hear him hissing “I told you so” in her ear. She just as pointedly ignored him.

“You certainly are knowledgeable for a kid.” Takumi muttered. Despite his air of bored nonchalance, he took a step back as the girl approached him. Her cloak fluttered as she walked, and beneath it, Nerr noticed she was wearing robes similar to those Zola had worn, only hers were black and in better condition. She wondered if the girl wasn't perhaps a bit too young to be learning dark magic, but then remembered that Leo had been toting around grimoires that were almost as big as he was since he first learned how to read.

 

“No. I am well within the normal range of intelligence for a _woman_ my age. Do not let my diminutive size or youthful features fool you; I daresay I might be a few years older than Sir Knight over there.”

“What?! No way!” Oboro exclaimed loudly, resulting in the mage cringing.

“Would you keep your voice down? Children...” She shook her head. “I cannot stop you from doing anything, but I will pass on a final warning. There is a reason people do not come here; those that do rarely make it back out. And the further you go, the less likely it is you will be amongst the ones that do.” Inhaling deeply, Nerr walked over to the stairs.

“We appreciate your warning, erm... ma'am? But from what I've heard, this is where the Rainbow Sage is. My brother visited him and came back alive, so forgive me for not being too spooked by cautionary tales told to little children.” To her surprise, the small woman smiled, in a way that made her eyes crinkle slightly in the corners.

 

“Oh, to be young and fearless again... in that case, I suppose I wish you the best of luck on your journey.” Slipping past the Hoshidans, the girl slowly descended down the stairs. He watched her go, and once her head had disappeared, Hinata turned back around to face the others.

“Okay, there was no way that was really a grown woman, right? I mean- she had the body of a five year old!”

“It's entirely within the realm of possibility.” Jakob said haughtily, though his expression spoke to him being just as unnerved as the samurai. “She looks to be a dark mage, and they study all manner of curses that go against the very grain of the natural world. If there are curses to turn a man inside out, surely there are ones to make him look young.”

 

“ _That_ young, though?” Oboro said, her voice brimming with disgust. “Nohrian magic is horrible.”

“Nohrian magic is _extensive_. People can use magic for whatever horrible things they want, _regardless_ of where that magic comes from.” Nerr sniped as she climbed. She had just poked her head out into the next landing when she paused.

“Lady Nerr? What is it, why did you stop?” She frowned, remaining silent as she tiptoed back down a few steps. She shook her head slowly.

“...it's nothing. Deja vu, I suppose...” With slower steps, she continued up. She hadn't noticed until just now, but every floor they had passed through looked the same. And it wasn't simply because of the layout or the pillars, or the alter against the wall- every flower was in exactly the same place, the pattern of the cascading wax looked exactly the same as it had in the floor below. Shutting her eyes tightly, the princess rubbed them until the darkness there turned bright red. She was imagining things. She was just tired and in pain, and that was playing tricks on her mind. Even the dust particles floating around her head looked the same... Nerr kept her eyes forward as she made her way to the next staircase, paying no attention to those following her. They were right behind her, she didn't need to babysit them. What she needed to do was find the sage, because gods above the longer she spent in this place, the less peaceful it felt.

 

“Hey! Wait!” She paused, staring at the patterns of the wax dripping for a long moment before turning around. Her retainers came up, followed by Takumi and his retainers. Well, Takumi and Oboro. As the prince trudged over to one of the pillars and leaned against it, he frowned deeply.

“Hinata, hurry up we don't have all day.” When the samurai didn't answer, his companion stomped back over to the stairs.

“Hinata! Stop dragging your ass; Takumi-sama is waiting!” Still there was no answer. Oboro growled, trotting down the stairs. “I swear, if this is some kind of joke...!” Silence. Then the sounds of quick footsteps as the halberdier reappeared, her eyes wide with panic.

“He's not here!”

 

“What?”

“I looked down in the next level too; he's gone!”

“That's not possible!” Takumi quickly followed her downstairs, his voice muffled as he called out. “Hinata! Hinata, where are you!?” He too poked his head back up to look at Nerr. For the first time since she'd met him, there wasn't hate in his eyes as they met her. This time, there was apprehension, mixed with fear. “There's no trace of him!”

 

“That's not possible. There's only two directions to go in.” Groaning, Nerr dragged herself back over to the stairs. Maybe there was door they hadn't noticed before, or maybe the boy had just gone back down for some reason or another. Stepping down, she looked around. Nothing was out of the ordinary, nothing looked strange or out of place. There was only one set of footsteps in the dust leading back to the other staircase. She ran her hands over the wall, trying to find a crack, some indication of a door they might have missed. There was nothing there. Of course there wasn't. She sighed, stepping away, trying to clear her head. It was hard to do that when Takumi was pacing around with such loud, heavy steps.

 

“This is Nohrians' doing... it has to be, it's some kind of trap...!”

“There is nobody here!” She snapped.

“Then where's Hinata!?”

“I don't know! But he's somewhere! It's-it's probably just an illusion. We just have to... find where it is, and... ugh...” he groaned, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. She was getting dizzy, she could feel feel the flesh under her fingers pulsating. “Jakob? Jakob, get your staff...” There was no response, no dutiful voice asserting that he'd be right there. Nerr opened her eyes, her vision blurry as her head swam. “Jakob? Gunther?” They... they had been right behind her. She _knew_ they had been right behind her, she'd _heard_ them walking behind her...! Her chest tightened, constricting around her lungs, making it harder to draw in breath as her heart raced. She dashed back over to the stairs, calling up to the floor above.

 

“Gunther, where are you? Jakob!?” She was about to ascend the stairs, had already run up two of them, but stopped suddenly, backing down. “We have to stay together.” She walked over to the Hoshidans, grabbing Oboro's hand. The lancer snatched it away, her lips twitching in her rage.

“Don't touch me, anyan. This is _your_ doing; you lead us into a trap!!”

“Are you crazy?!”

“I won't fall for your tricks, Nohrian! I'm going to find Hinata and take Takumi-sama and get the hell out of here!!” She turned on her heel, running back down the stairs, screaming the other boy's name. Takumi reached for her, but missed. He tried to follow her as she ran, but Nerr grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

 

“Takumi, don't! We need to stay together!” He turned towards her, eyes wide, breathing hard. She assumed he too would pull away and tightened her grip in anticipation, but the prince stayed where he was.

“Come on, then.” Gripping one another's hands tightly, the blood siblings followed the retainer's path. The stairs were so narrow they could only go down one at a time. She went first, constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure her brother was there. He was, reluctant and uneasy, every step hesitant. Just like the room they had come from, there was no sign of where someone could have disappeared to, other than back down. It struck Nerr suddenly.

“Maybe they went back to the first floor. That's where Azura and Sakura probably are, that's where everyone probably is.”

“What about _your_ retainers?” There was a twinge of fear in his voice, not for the people in question, but the situation in general. She didn't want to think about that, that same feeling she'd felt back at the Infinite Chasm when she realized there was no trace of anyone there.

“They're together; they're fine. They might have just gone further upstairs.” She was lying. She hadn't heard any footsteps retreating- they had been right behind her, and then... and then they weren't. “We just have to go back downstairs.” She put on her confident big sister voice, the voice she used when Elise was upset over something or when Felicia broke something that couldn't be replaced as easily as a plate.

 

They were just going down some stairs through a temple- even if there was an illusion in place, there was nothing scary about it. It was probably just to scare off potential thieves, that was all. She counted the floors aloud as they descended each one, trying to remember as she did exactly how many they had gone up. It had been six, right? Or was it four? It was definitely more than three. They had just gone down three floors, which meant there was only one more until they reached the foyer... unless it was three more? She picked up the pace, ignoring the stitch in her side and the burning in her abdomen.

 

“Slow down!” Nerr tore her eyes from the umpteenth alter she'd passed- they'd pass. She was with Takumi. She'd forgotten about him, even though she was dragging him behind her like a ragdoll.

“Oh... I'm sorry.” The younger boy doubled over, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His face was flushed as he looked back up at her.

“Are you even paying attention to where we're going?”

“We're going _down_. I thought that much was obvious.”

“We've been going down for almost nine floors!!” Nerr blinked. And blinked again. And again, shaking her head. No they hadn't. She had been counting. She told him that. “You stopped counting at five! You've just been muttering to yourself since then!”

 

“No, I haven't! Stop making me sound like I'm crazy!” The candles hadn't even burned down. They were still lit, their flames still going strong, still throwing off virtually no light, but they hadn't diminished in size even slightly.

“ 'Just one more. Just one more'.” He adopted a mocking falsetto, immediately going back to his normal, angry tone. “It's been 'just one more' for five fucking minutes! That... girl, or whatever she was, was right! We should have just left when we still had a chance! You and Azura led us into a deathtrap!” He began breathing harder, looking around the room with wide, bulging eyes. “You're trying to kill us all just like you did in Shirasagi! You're luring Azura into it because you know we'll listen to her!”

“I'm not!” She tried to approach him, but was stopped in her tracks as he pulled out his bow, raising it at her.

 

“Stay away from me! I'm not falling for your tricks anymore!” A bowstring materialized, it's soft green glow illuminating more of the room than either the candles or the windows could. As he drew it back, so too did an arrow shaped of magic appear in his fingers, the wind it gave off buffeting his hair. Nerr held her breath, waiting for him to let it loose. He did, though not before turning his body towards one of the walls. She jumped at the sound of impact, the resulting gust nearly knocking her off her feet.

“...what the hell is this!?” His outraged cry drew her attention to the wall. Unlike every other time he had shot an arrow at something, be it on purpose or not, the magic had all but obliterated whatever stood in it's way. The wall he had shot at this time remained intact, unscathed. Not even the faintest crack appeared in the plaster. Takumi's anger quickly dissolved in to fear as he stared at it. She could see his hands shaking, so badly he nearly dropped the bow. “I'm going to die in here...”

 

“No, you won't. We just have to--”

“We're all going to die in here. This _always_ happens...! No matter what I do, no matter how hard I train, the second Nohrians do _anything_ , I'm powerless against them! I couldn't protect Mother, I couldn't stop _one_ mage; I can't even get out of a damn building!!” It was hard to judge which emotion had more influence ever his current mental state, anger or fear. The tears coursing down his cheeks could come from either. His ragged gasps echoed hollowly in the room, bouncing off the pillars and surrounding her like a swarm of invisible entities. Without thinking, Nerr approached him, as she would have done with Leo.

“It's going to be okay, Takumi. You just have to calm down...” Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling extremely uncomfortable as she did so. The prince must have felt much the same way, given how hard he pushed her back. His hands connected with her breastplate, forcing the sharp edge into her stomach, and the pain left her curled up on the floor, trying to see through the bursts of color that blinded her as his footsteps moved further away from her.

 

“Don't tell me to be calm! This is _you_ fault! I don't care where I end up, as long as it's away from you!!” She rolled over onto her hands and knees just in time to see him running towards the stairs that lead down, first his legs disappearing from her view, then his hips.

“Takumi, wait!!” Groaning, clutching at her stomach, Nerr stumbled to her feet, limping over to him. His shoulder were gone, and before she had passed the last pillar between them, his head vanished as well. “Takumi!!” Every step was agony, she could barely see where she was putting her feet, so it came as no surprise that she missed one of the last stairs, tumbling down the remaining ones. She kept her eyes shut, curled into herself as every ragged breath brought a new wave of pain coursing through her. It felt as though she had just had every bone in her body broken after a training session with Xander.

 

Xander... gods above, what she wouldn't give to have her brother there with her. Someone with more authority than her to not only give orders, but take the blame when those orders backfired. _'Oh, brother... how did you do this...? How do_ _ **I**_ _do this...?'_ She should have just listened to Gunther; he knew what he was talking about when he said this was a waste of time. _Everyone_ knew what they were talking about but her. Groaning, she pushed herself into an upright position. She had to find them... find them and get out of this hellhole and just... go home. If throwing herself at Garon's feet and pleading for mercy was what it took, she could... try. Maybe? Just the thought of facing the Nohrian king with her tail between her legs filled her with a surge of disgust. Maybe she wasn't _that_ desperate yet _._ As she opened her eyes, she immediately looked for the alter again. She didn't see it. What she found was a hallway, one she distinctly didn't remember passing through (and she _knew_ she would've remembered it if only because it wasn't the same as everything else she had passed). Getting back to her feet, torturous as it was, filled her with a new kind of determination. She was right- it _had_ been an illusion. This was probably exactly where the others had ended up. All this time she'd wasted running around when all she had to do was fall down and let the pain break through it!

 

Not exactly on her second wind but with a newfound confidence, Nerr began walking. She could see the corner- there was probably another staircase there, or better yet, a door. She wished she could run, but the agony in her stomach that came with every step kept her at her current speed. Maybe going down so far had lead her into a basement floor in the depths of the mountain. The citadel had lower levels like this, the cellars that had once been dungeons whose hallways never seemed to end. She glanced over her shoulder. Yes, the stairs were far away, very far away- she was making progress. She quickened the pace. Her footsteps echoed through the long hall, making each step sound louder and heavier than it was. When she actually listened, she it almost sounded like there was a delay between the impact and the sound. A shudder ran under her skin. She walked quicker still, but the footsteps didn't grow faster.

 

She recalled what the mage had said, about there being guards. Judging by her tone, they probably weren't friendly. When it was the only sound in an otherwise obtrusive silence, even the sound of her arms hitting her armor left an uncomfortable tingling along her spine. _Was_ is her armor making that noise? Maybe it was coming from behind her. Maybe that's where the footsteps were coming from too. They were so much heavier than hers could be. Biting her lip, Nerr broke into a run. She had to find the others. There were no answers here, only problems, and she had enough of those. They could figure out what dragon they were looking for on their own. As she rounded the corner, she collided with something solid enough to send her reeling back.

 

“Come back for more, huh!?” Someone grabbed her shoulder and slammed her against a wall. The princess opened her eyes, her gaze immediately darting between the dagger held to her throat and the face leaning in. She couldn't figure out which one she wanted to focus on more, because while that knife _did_ look very sharp, the man's expression seemed to be caught in flux and she'd prefer to know his mindset in case she needed to knee him in the testicles. “You aren't one of them.”

“One of who?!”

“The guards.” So that _was_ what was behind her, it _had_ to be! And if the very notion of them would inspire such a violent reaction in someone, they definitely weren't friendly.

 

“I'm not,” Nerr tried to keep her voice steady, which would have been much easier if she didn't keep noticing the point of that dagger. “But I think one is coming. We need to go.”

“ 'Go'?” The man released her, laughing humorlessly as he sheathed his blade, taking hold of a bow instead. “I don't think so. I'm gonna kill every last one of these things if that's what it takes to see the Sage.” He pushed past her. Nerr could hear the footsteps growing louder. Who knew what was around that corner- what if it lead into another illusion? She grabbed the hem of the stranger's shabby cloak, pulling him back.

“No! It's not safe!”

“You think I give a damn?” He tried to pull the cloth free from her grasp, but she only tightened her grip. “Let _go_ , girly.”

 

“No!” She glared at him, only just noticing the lines around his mouth and eyes- she'd thought it was the shadows making him look older than he was. “I've already lost track of my retainers, my brother... I've only just broken through this trick house! If you leave, you'll get lost and you'll never find your way out again!” The strange man lowered his bow slightly, giving her a strange look.

“...that's what it looks like to you? Some kind of maze?” He chuckled, speaking to himself under his breath (not that Nerr couldn't still hear him) “So the rumors were right...” She tugged on his cloak again, trying to pull him away from the corner.

 

“I don't know what kind of information _you're_ here for, but I can assure you, getting trapped in that loop isn't going to help you.”

“ 'Information'? You're here for _information?_ Ha! You need to go back home and play with your dolls, little girl- this is a place for people with _real_ problems.”

“My problems are greater than you could possibly know.”

“Sure they are.” The man sneered. “When some piece of shit like Kotaro of Mokushuu takes everything away from you, maybe _then_ you'll know what problems really are.” Nerr's stomach churned, with anger and fear both. Stranger (and a rude one) though he was, she was terrified of the thought of someone getting lost in this hell hole, wandering around in increasing desperation as they grew weaker from hunger and thirst, going mad with each step until they could step no further. And in all honesty, the thought of that fate befalling _her_ left her desperate to have _some_ human presence with her, any whatsoever. If she'd found him, whoever he was, she could find the others... hopefully Bitting her lip, she raised her sweater and pulled down the bandages under it. It wouldn't go up far with her breastplate on, but it went far enough for someone to see the raw, bloody slit running across her gut. The man's dark eyes widened.

 

“I got _this_ in Mokushuu. My younger sister was nearly disemboweled by Kotaro. I assure you, sir, you are not the only person that dastard has caused problems for.” He shook his head, lips moving soundlessly as he stared at the gash.

“...you fought Kotaro... but you're alive... How?” Nerr pulled the bandages back up and lowered her top.

“We ran. And were lucky enough that the Mokushuujin gave up chase. I don't know what he did to _you_ , but I'm assuming you want to pay him back in kind?”

“You don't know the half of it...” He whispered darkly. “And that's why I have to find the Rainbow Sage, so he can--”

“So he can what? Grant you an army? Give you immense power, wealth? You think asking for a magic wish from a fairy will give you that? If you want soldiers, _I_ can get you soldiers.” He had been staring at her, rapt for a while, but then he scoffed.

 

“Oh yeah? You and what army?”

“The Nohrian army. Hells, the Hoshidan army. I am Nerr Von Krakenburg, second princess of Nohr, and I don't give a damn what Garon says; the second I find my brother, my kingdom is going to remember that!” Nerr didn't realize she had raised her voice until she was practically shouting. She didn't care, either. Whatever was after her would have a force to reckon with. She was sick of being uncertain; Nerr Von Krakenburg was many things, but uncertain was not one of them. A princess knew their goals and pursued them doggedly. For the first time since she had come back to Nohr, she wasn't overcome with trepidation... At least, until something heavy and metallic groaned and ratcheted and clanged in the distance. Whimpering, she drew her sword, trying to figure out exactly where it was coming from. “ _What the fuck was that!?_ ”

 

“I don't know, but it sounded close.” The man drew an arrow from the holder at his waist, nocking it but keeping his bow lowered. “I'll take my chances with whatever's around the corner, thanks.” Nerr frowned at him. She knew what was back there- nothing. A whole lot of nothing, and fear, and uncertainty.

“ _Fine_. You _clearly_ have everything figured out. Don't say I didn't warn you.” She'd take _her_ chance with whatever mechanical terror was lying in wait ahead. She began walking forward, wondering if she would hear footsteps retreating. She didn't.

“...are you really Princess Nerr? The one they call 'Princess Traitor'?”

“Yes, and those people are idiots. I never swore loyalty to Hoshido, and I have not turned my back on Nohr.”

“But you _did._ This whole hubbub started because you skipped out on Nohr. So you're going back to serve the king _now_ _?_ ” She inhaled deeply and turned around.

 

“No. I'm going to see my brother, the crown prince, and have words with him. My issue is no more with Hoshido than it is with Nohr herself. My issue is with those who bring about suffering for sufferings' sake. Garon, Anankos... _Kotaro_.” Even from a distance, she could see the way his eyes flashed when she said that name. “If you'd care to accompany me and my traveling party, I wouldn't be opposed to that. If I cannot help you land a blow against Kotaro personally, I can see to it someone else _will_.” A small part of her said she was lying through her teeth. Another part of her told that part to shut up. The shabby man approached her slowly.

 

“I came here looking for power. Guess I wasn't disappointed.”

“You'll find power later- right now, I need to find my retainers.” ' _ **And**_ _Takumi..._ ' her mind supplied, but she was already moving. The further she walked, the darker the hall grew. There were torches in sconces, but they were so high above her, almost touching the ceiling, that they hardly cut through the gloom. Her hand tightened around the Yato's grip. Why was she uncomfortable- the library back home was darker than this. She stopped short, her new companion almost running into her.

 

“Well...” His voice came from right above her. “That's... definitely a door. Of sorts.” That was one way to put it. It reminded Nerr more of a portcullis, wrought iron bars coated in thick rust. There _was_ a door just behind it, some kind of thick, heavy wood or metal- she couldn't tell as it was a grimy orange. The entire thing looked as if it had been corroded years ago, the color of the something rusted shut. As though it hadn't been opened in decades because it wasn't supposed to be opened. But it was a door. And it was _different_ , completely unlike the endless rooms with their endless alters.

 

Breathing deeply, she approached it, reaching through the gate. A shudder passed though her as the rust scraped against her hand. Biting her lip, she gave it a push. Nothing happened. That should have been expected. No sooner than she had pulled back did the portcullis rise, so quickly it would've ripped her arm off had she been a second slower. With a deafening creak, the doors swung inwards, their hinges groaning under their weight. She couldn't see into the adjoining room. She couldn't see anything. It was as though she had discovered a wall painted black, but a tentative poke with the Yato revealed there _was_ space there. Frowning, she turned back to her companion.

 

“You first.”

“With pleasure. This place gives me the creeps.” He walked past her, without a trace of fear, vanishing into the darkness, just like the Chasm-- Nerr shook her head. No. _Not_ like the Chasm. Shutting her eyes, she ran forward--

 

\--and collided with something solid, yet soft.

 

“Ow!”

“My lady!”

“Lady Nerr!” She could barely differentiate between the litany of voices. She didn't even have time to open her eyes before she found herself caught in a vice grip. After the darkness of the hallway, it took a moment for her to adjust to even the weak light of... wherever she was. She couldn't really tell, seeing as how Jakob's hair was obscuring her vision. She tried to move her face. The steward was pulled away from her (much to his chagrin) by Gunther. The sight of them, together and safe, filled her with relief... and rage.

 

“Where the hell did you two go!? I looked everywhere for you!! The nerve of you, leaving without me!” They gave her an odd look.

“What are you talking about, milady? We didn't leave. We followed you and went through the door. We assumed you had simply gotten here ahead of us and headed out--”

“No, you didn't! There was no door. Wh-what about Hinata? Where did _he_ go??” The samurai shrugged.

“I went through the door and ended up here with Azura-sama and Sakura-sama.” She shook her head, looking around. They were in a room, but it wasn't any of the rooms she had passed through. There was no alter to be found, just a low table and some chairs and a bowl of what looked like pears... A normal house.

 

“No. _No!!_ There _was_ no door- tell them, Takumi!! Tell them how long we were looking! Where the fuck did _you_ go!?” The prince edged away from her, looking down at his feet.

“There wasn't a door where _you_ all said there was. ...but... you were right, sister- we were only one floor from the entrance. I walked out and ended up here with everyone else.” He looked back up at her, his voice almost sheepish. “I thought you were right behind me...” Fury boiled inside of her, and she stalked over to him, punching him in the arm, hard.

“How could I be right behind you when you pushed me to the ground and _ran_ , you craven piece of shit!? We were supposed to stay together!”

 

“I know!” He snapped. Looking away from her again, he spoke more quietly, rubbing the spot on his arm where she'd hit him. “...'m sorry, okay? I freaked out...”

“Hohoho... that happens far too often to be surprising.” The door creaked open, and a stooped man hobbled inside, leaning heavily on a staff.

“Who are you?” Azura asked quietly.

“Why, I'm the person who lives here, of course.”

“You're that bum from earlier!” Jakob shouted accusatory. The old man clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

 

“Just because I decided to take a rest out of doors doesn't mean I am without a home. Things are not always as they appear, young man. I'd have thought the Sevenfold Sanctuary would have shown you that.”

“Wait. You know about the Sanctuary? H-how...?” Nerr's mind was spinning. The white-haired man she had met in the sanctuary caught her as she stumbled back.

“Easily, my child. It is my home. Rather convenient to have an abode down here to connect to it- it saves my poor knees the hassle of climbing. Sit, dear, sit- you look dead on your feet!” She shook her head. She could feel power radiating from him in waves, pressing against her, making her head pound.

“No... _No_ , who the hell are you!?” He turned to face her directly, his eyes twinkling.

 

“I have many names, my child, but the one I think you are most interested in is 'Rainbow Sage'.” A bright light seemed to emanate from his very pores, forcing her and all the others to look away as it it filled the small room. When she could finally see again after much blinking, she found that in the old man's place was... an old man. This one, however, could not easily be mistaken for a vagrant. His long green robes were a thick wool, and the cloak draped over his shoulders was richly embroidered with gold thread. Nerr's heart pounded against her chest, jolting so painfully she was certain it would burst as a deafening roar shook her bones.

 

“ _ **YOU!!!!!!**_ ” She looked around, sword raised, for the threat. Everyone else had also jumped, many of them reaching for or already holding their weapons. Everyone but Gunther, who was glaring at the self-proclaimed Sage. Her retainer was an exceedingly calm man, but she had seen him angry on occasion. _This?_ This was not anger. Anger was not a powerful enough word for the acrid stink of loathing wafting from him. This was not even the disdain he usually displayed when speaking of King Garon. His armor clattered as his whole body shook with unbridled fury, his lips drawn away from his teeth in an animalistic snarl. Despite being the target of such frightening anger, the bearded man didn't seem at all bothered.

 

“It has been a long time, has it not, young knight? I hope the years have been kind to you.” Gunther responded by grabbing the bowl on the table and hurling it with all his might at the sage's head. With a deftness that should have been impossible for such a feeble-looking man, he stepped aside, the ceramic hitting the wall behind him and shattering, sending fruit and shards of pottery flying like shrapnel. Nerr winced as a few slivers struck her face. Breathing hard through gritted teeth, Gunther tightened his grip on his lance, paused, and roughly pushed past the people between him and the door. The sage wisely moved out of arm's reach as the knight passed him, slamming the door so hard as he walked through it that the walls shook.

“Gunther? Wait! Stop, come back!!” The teal-haired girl dashed after him, fear churning in her stomach as she remembered the last times he had left her line of sight. What if all this was still an illusion; what if she walked out and found herself back in those rooms and he wasn't there!? A wizened hand closed over her arm, giving her pause. The old man's gaze was soft, sympathetic as he looked at her.

 

“Do not fear, little dragon. Your knight is safe. He is simply going to clear his head.” He sighed, his mustache rising slightly as he smiled. “I must confess, I was expecting him to do that, and he did not disappoint. As much as things change, so too do they stay the same...”

“What are you talking about?” Jakob demanded harshly, voicing Nerr's own thoughts. “Do you actually _know_ the old man?!”

“ 'Know' is a strong word. I know him no more than I 'know' all the others who have come seeking my blessing over the centuries.” He made his way to the table, leading Nerr back as well with his free hand. Sitting with a quiet groan, he leaned back in his seat, his smile growing wider. “He _is_ one of the few I remember best, though. Had almost the exact same reaction thirty four years ago, only back then, he had quicker reflexes and a sword. Left me with quite a goose egg on my noggin, hohoho... such an angry boy; so amusing...” His smile dimmed as he turned his attention back to Nerr.

“But that's enough reminiscing for one day. I do believe you've just endured an unpleasant experience in order to ask something of me, yes? Well, let's hear it.” The princess had to think for a while before she remembered what her question had even been; her mind was so bogged down with new information that it couldn't even begin to process that she was fairly certain she'd forgotten how to use a spoon.

 

“Oh. Um... We... visited Lord Izana in Hoshido, and he said the gods had a message for us; 'go to the dragon'.”

“...and?”

“And nothing. That was it.”

“We were hoping you could tell us exactly what dragon it is we need to go to.” Azura clarified. “Is it a particular statue, or--”

“Ohohoho... No, my dear, this is one time the gods weren't being cryptic. You were meant to find an actual dragon. But before I tell you about him, would you mind letting me see that sword of yours, Nerrida?”

 

“The Ya-- wait. Who told you my name? And why did you call me 'little dragon' before...?” The sage chuckled softly.

“You need no introduction, child. In truth, I have wanted to meet you for a very long time. Very long indeed... And as for 'little dragon', why, that's exactly what you are. You're so small now, but in a few hundred years, you'll be a sight to behold!”

“A-a few hundred years??” Sakura squeaked. Nerr didn't blame her- she could barely fathom living to middle age, especially given how many times she'd brushed against death only since leaving the citadel.

 

“Dragons, even manaketes, are a long lived species, Princess Sakura. A long life is a blessing; there are so many wonderful things to experience in this world! ...but just the same, it is a terrible, terrible curse... But you didn't come here for me to instill you with existential dread! The Yato, if you please, dear?” A small part of her wanted to protest on principal, but Nerr was too filled with conflicting thoughts to care about a dumb sword. Wordlessly, she held it out. The Sage took it, holding it with the gentle reverence one might reserve for their newborn child. His smile never faded from his lips completely, but the twinkle in his eyes dulled considerably. She hadn't noticed until just now that they were the same shade of red as hers.

“Oh... it has been so long since I've seen you, Yatogami... not long enough though, I fear...” He closed his eyes, holding the with his hands flat. When he spoke once more, it was not any common tongue, but the same strange, almost lyrical language that she'd heard Lilith chant at the Chasm. Despite knowing she had never heard it before- how could she have?- Nerr was certain she understood what was being said. She could practically _feel_ the meaning of his words. “I, who forged the sacred blade... I, who committed the great sin... I, who wove the divine colors... I call upon you now, Seal of Flames!”

 

As he spoke, the stones set within the blade glowed brighter and brighter, until it seemed as though the metal itself was giving off light. Years of discoloration faded before her eyes until it shone, looking freshly smithed. The guard twisted, moving like softened putty, three prongs melting into two, and forming a knuckle guard. It was the strangest magic she had ever bore witness to. No sooner than she had begun wondering what _other_ changes would occur, the light died down, though it didn't extinguish completely. A soft blue glow still surrounded the blade, almost like the aura around Xander's Siegfried. Breathing hard, the Sage slumped forward.

 

“There we go... your blade should be a bit stronger now...” Nerr reached out, tentatively, and grabbed the sword. It felt warm in her hand, warmer than usual, enough to soothe the stiffness in her fingers she barely even registered anymore.

“Th-thank you. ...you said 'Seal of Flames'; _is_ this the Seal of Flames?”

“What are you talking about?” Takumi asked, frowning deeply. “I didn't hear anything that sounded like 'seal' _or_ 'flames'.”

“D-did you understand all that, nee-sama?”

“Yes...?” The fact that they _didn't_ was deeply unsettling, but a quiet chuckle kept her from thinking on it too long.

 

“Of course you did, Nerrida. You are a dragon; you would understand their tongue. But to answer your question, no. Not quite. I simply awakened the seed that was sown in that blade long ago. It will require a power far greater than what I can manage to complete the seal.” He shook his head, a mournful look on his face as he leaned heavily onto the table. “How long I've prayed that it would never _have_ to be completed...” Sheathing her sword, the princess leaned forward, her brows furrowed.

“Lord Sage? Are you alright?” His breathing sounded more labored with every passing second, and as he raised his head to look at her, it seemed to take all his strength.

“Let me tell you a story, little dragon. Your songstress friend should hear it, too.” Looking uncomfortable as everyone's eyes focused on her, Azura picked her way forward until she stood beside Nerr.

“Yes, Lord Sage?”

 

“...When the world was still new, dragons reigned supreme. They had everything, but that was not enough. For, despite all that they built, both for humans and themselves, it was in their nature, in their very blood, to destroy. Wars waged across the continents. On this one we call home, there were six that each decided they alone were worthy of ruling over all who lived on it. The dragons who gave their blood to the people of our land. In the end, the three that were left were not content with what territory they had claimed.

They would have destroyed everything just to ensure the others didn't have anything either. One of them approached a dear friend of his, declaring that he no longer wished to fight, but knew that the others would not stop until they were _made_ to stop. And so, that dragon created five divine weapons from his fangs and claws and flesh, weapons to be wielded by humans, with the power to fell even the most powerful dragon. Two to one land, two to the other... and one to held by someone powerful enough to lead an army of both sides.” The Rainbow sage closed his eyes, tears running over the many lines on his face.

 

“When they arranged a ceasefire, I thought I had succeeded. I thought that would be the last time there would be need of it. Yes, I lay the burden of our war on humans, and I gave them a power they could- and would- use to horrible ends.Yes, that sin was too great to ever atone for even with my life, but I thought at least that _we_ would never again be a threat to this world. How short sighted could I have been...?” Azura gaped at him.

“You-- are you saying that... _you're_ one of the First Dragons...?!” When he opened his eyes once more, they were brimming with tears. If she looked close enough, Nerr could see his pupils weren't round as a human's, but wide slits. Like a cat's. Like hers.

“Yes, my child. I have watched this world carry on our war even when most of us were dead and gone. I had hoped that I alone was the last remnant of this dark past, but I knew... I knew that wasn't the case. And I did nothing.” With a quickness even she could not follow, the old man (or rather, manakete?) grabbed the Nohrian princess' hands, his own trembling. “You must end him, Nerrida.”

“Who?”

 

“Anankos. Living for so long is a wonderful thing... until it's not. I cast aside my true form and, for the most part, both the power and the madness that is inherent to it. He could not. He _can_ not. The urge, the _need_ to destroy has been festering within him for millenia. He will destroy _**everything**_... You and her both... you must do everything in your power to stop him...” She could feel his grip growing weaker, his hands growing colder. Swallowing hard, Nerr took hold of his own, squeezing them slightly. She could almost imagine what great claws those now feeble fingers concealed.

“I will.” She whispered, her throat tighter than it had any reason to be. “That's exactly what I intend to do.” He smiled weakly, leaning back in his chair once more, his vision going out of focus.

 

“...good... Protect this world, little dragon... love it just as... we once did...” With a final sigh, his grip went slack, his eyes closing. She stared at him, expectantly, waiting to see his chest rise and fall again. It didn't. Of course it didn't. Sniffling, she gently placed his hands over his chest. She'd have felt worse about her burning eyes if Azura wasn't whimpering beside her. Wiping her eyes brusquely, she turned her attention to the others. They stared, eyes wide, jaws slack. Sakura was wiping away tears that came just as quickly as they soaked into her sleeve.

 

“You heard him. We have to stop Anankos. So when Ryouma and-or Xander calls me crazy for telling them that, I expect every single one of you to back me up.” Takumi opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. It still took him a few seconds to arrange the sounds he was making into words.

“... are you saying we have to fight a god? An actual _god?_ ”

“Yes.” The prince fell silent, but the older man standing behind him chuckled darkly.

“Guess you weren't joking when you said you had bigger problems than I could know...” No, she wanted to tell him. It wasn't just that _she_ had problems- this was going to be _everyone's_ problem. And, if nothing else, she was going to make damn sure everyone knew that.

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A/N- Fuck, that looping scene- that's been in my head forever. You might wonder why Shura got recruited when Nyx didn't, and well... what can Nerr possibly offer Nyx? “You want peace and quiet? Well, come with me and you'll get death and chaos!” And I know, I know, I'm going out of order, in the game you don't go see the sage until _after_ you fight with Ryouma and Xander, but uhhhh..... fuck the game. It fucking _**sucks**_ , and I'm pretty much just using it as a suggestion at this point. Revelation doesn't _deserve_ respect. As much as I hate Birthright, it made sense (in a vacuum, if you didn't try to apply logic to it). Revelation is a clusterfuck, plain and simple. It should have been it's own fucking entry in the series, separate from Fates. Like the Archanea games. And Jugdral. And Elibe. And Tellius. _WHY WASN'T IT A FUCKING SEQUEL, INTSYS!?_ And if you really want to know why I put this chapter first, just look up a map of Nohrshido. Boom; question answered.


	11. At The Refrain

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Ch.11- “At The Refrain”

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It was... uncomfortable, being in a house with a dead body. Very uncomfortable. To the point of physical discomfort. Nerr had seen corpses- she had stumbled over them, fallen onto them, _created_ them... But... she'd never actually seen a person die of natural causes. She had never seen someone die without losing their head or having their throat or belly slit... She found her gaze constantly sliding back to the Sage. It really looked like he was sleeping. She shuddered, hard enough to pull the sore muscles in her stomach.

 

“Sh-should we do something...?” Sakura sounded as uncomfortable as she felt. Her retainer crossed his arms over his chest, looking anywhere _but_ the sage.

“It would be morally right if we _did_ , but the question would be _what?_ It's not as if we can drag his body to the outskirts of town, and if we were to tell anyone what happened, they might assume we had something to do with it.”

 

“Ponytail's right.” The man Nerr had met in the Sanctuary said gruffly, walking over to the door. He paused, looking back at them. “It's a sorry thing to do, but unless you wantguards on your ass, sometimes you've just gotta leave a man behind. And considering the lot of you are Hoshidan, I'm guessin' you _really_ don't want to get too involved with people here.” Inhaling deeply, Azura walked over to her sister, taking her hand and leading her to the door.

“He's right. The Rainbow Sage wants us to defeat Anankos, and we can't do that if we're taken prisoner by Nohrian soldiers.” Though the room remained silent, it was clear from the looks they all exchanged that they were all in agreement.

 

Nerr watched them all file out past her, giving Jakob a weak smile as he passed, an assurance she was right behind him. She would be, in a minute. She looked back towards the sage one last time. A dragon, one of the First Dragons, one of her ancestors. Takumi's hateful words from that horrid day in Shirasagi still echoed in the back of her mind months later, _not extinct enough..._ Really though, they may as well have been. What was left? Her and... whatever Anankos was? And even one of the creatures old enough to know him agreed that his continued existence would only cause more problems than it was worth. Even with the talk of powerful beings and gods, it had never occurred to her that she was actively seeking to exterminate her own species. For the first time, she wished Empress Mikoto was still alive just so she could speak to her. She had so many questions...

 

Placing her hand over her breastplate, just over where her dragonstone lay, she closed her eyes and walked out into the daylight. Right now, there was one question that was far more pressing than that of her very existence. The others seemed to be heading back towards the docks. That was right, they'd need to charter a ferry to head back to the mainland. She wanted to run to catch up to them, but the pain from earlier was beginning to catch up to her. She would need another bout of healing, at least, after both her tumble as well as Takumi's oh-so thoughtfully placed shove. Fortunately, they weren't walking very fast, and as Kaze noticed her lagging, he alerted Azura and as a result, the rest of the group.

 

“What's the holdup?” Hana asked, looking very annoyed that she had to wait. “Sakura-sama is hungry; we have to find something edible in this hellhole.” Nerr felt her lip curl in displeasure.

“The 'holdup' is that my insides are threatening to become outsides again, and I'd really rather they stay where they are this time.” Even though she hadn't been paying him any mind, Takumi quickly looked away from her. _'That's right, you know what you did...'_ She thought bitterly. In truth, she could have seen Leo pulling a stunt like that, easily... but Leo would've gotten socked in the jaw as a result.

“Oh no... I-is your injury open again...?” Sakura fumbled for her staff, but by the time she had grabbed it, Jakob was already at her side.

 

“Put your arms around my neck, Lady Nerr; I'll carry you somewhere that you can lie down while I heal you!”

“That's really not necessary.” Though it _would_ have been nice not to have to walk... the reminder of not walking brought a sudden realization back to the forefront of her mind, as she gasped in horror. “Oh, good gods; we left Caractacus at the top of the mountain!!” She had to go get him! Pain forgotten, the princess was just about to dash off when a gauntlet-clad hand closed around her wrist.

“That really isn't necessary, milady. The Hoshidan woman- You... something- had already begun the trek back the up for her own mount. I'm certain she can wrangle that ornery old pile of gelatin.”

 

“I am absolutely certain she _can't_.” Nerr said stiffly. Caractacus could barely tolerate Jakob; how was a Hoshidan hoping to deal with him? And the crazy one to boot? She'd probably bring him back in pieces! With a slight whimper, she fumbled for her stone.

“Nerr, what are you doing?” Azura didn't even _try_ to mask her exasperation.

“Getting my horse! Why don't you all make yourselves useful while I'm gone and find us a cheap ferry?” She began walking away even as she spoke, squeezing the deep blue stone tighter. She could feel the cool seep into her veins, soothing most of her aches... only to be followed by a surge of heat, as though someone was flushing out her veins with fire. If there was only one good thing about her jaw popping out of place as her spine seemingly ripped itself from her back (and there _was_ only one good thing), it was that all the other pains distracted her from her stomach. Behind her, a deep voice swore loudly.

 

“What the fuck is that!?”

“It's a _dragon_. Isn't that obvious?”

“ _Hey.”_ She looked over her shoulder at the group. _“Less standing there, more getting things done.”_ Shaking her head, Nerr took off towards the mountain at a trot; they weren't going to get anything done... The few people she came across in the streets dropping anything they might have been holding at the time, their mouths slack as they ogled her. It shouldn't have been too surprising; there's been a dragon living there probably since before their great grandparents had been born.

 

With her vision muted, everything smelled so much sharper. She could practically taste the ocean spray, despite being quite far away. The salt water was calming, almost the way floral scents had been back home. Unfortunately, it was hard to focus on the ocean when she had to contend with acrid smoke rising from chimneys, rotten cabbage and potatoes in people's pantries, and fish guts piled high, most likely in buckets to be used as bait. It was nauseating, spurring her into running faster. The cut on her belly was far from healed in this form, but perhaps due to her thick skin (or maybe just the fact that her organs were probably somewhere else entirely in this form), it wasn't nearly as debilitating as it would be if she were still wearing her weak human skin.

 

She was nearing the base of the mountain, a journey that would've taken more than twice as long on two feet. Given how much stronger, how much faster she was in this form, it was hard to reason why she should even bother turning back at all. ' _You_ _ **shouldn't**_ _. This is what you are. Humans are your cattle..._ _'_ Well... that was _one_ reason. The voice made some good points- everything it said sounded so _right_ it was hard to disagree, but... She _liked_ being human. This bulky form couldn't go riding with Lilith, or have tea parties with Elise, or play the violin... She couldn't speak; she couldn't even _chew_. The air was cleaner further away from the inhabited part of the island. She could smell sand and trees (she'd gotten used to what trees smelled like in Hoshido) and leather and metal and--

 

 _“Gunther!”_ Given how quickly she had reached Mount Sagesse, it was hard to fathom how the knight could have not only beaten her there, but apparently had made it to the top and back. He was already leading the courser by the reins.

“Lady Nerr?” She wished he wouldn't shout. Granted, that's what it would take for a normal human to hear from such a distance, but he may as well have been yelling directly into her ear. She broke into an outright gallop, paying no mind to the uncomfortable way her skin shifted and rubbed together with every step. In spite of the pain, it was... liberating. She hadn't been able to run simply for the sake of it since leaving the citadel. Of course, such a large force moving so quickly was difficult to stop, and she had to veer sharply to the left to keep from bowling her retainer over. She hit the rough cliff face hard, hearing something crack even though she couldn't feel it.

 

“Gods above!!” Stepping back, she found Gunther glaring at her as he struggled to keep the reins taught while Caractacus tried to back away. “Have you lost your damn mind!? Why are you running like a fool!?”

“... _I wanted to catch up with you..._ ” She said quietly.

“Why are you even here!?” Despite towering over him, despite probably being strong enough to snap him in half like a twig, Nerr found herself shrinking back from her retainer.

 _“I-I was coming to get Caractacus!_ _I thought we forgot him, but... I see you've already thought of that..._ _”_ Almost immediately, the knight's ire dissipated, his face going from anger, to shock, and eventually settling on regret as he hung his head.

 

“Of course you were...” He whispered, more to himself than to her, quickly taking a knee before her. Well... as quickly as could be expected from a man his age in full armor. “I am so sorry for my outburst, Lady Nerr. My behavior was reprehensible. I will accept any reprimand you deem suitable.”

“ _What? No!_ _I--”_

“Nerrida-sama, are you okay?!” She looked around, before realizing the voice came from on high. Yuugiri was soaring above them, astride her mount while she led a pegasus beside her. She must have been a skilled flier to have such control with only one hand on each set of reins. She directed her massive bird down, landing somewhat behind them and hopping out of the saddle before even touching the ground. “Goodness, that was some crash. Is everything alright? Are there soldiers moving in?” Despite the initial concern, the older woman couldn't conceal the gleeful anticipation in her voice.

 

“ _What? No! I just... came for Caractacus..._ ” Yuugiri laughed lightly.

“Oh, you needn't concern yourself with such things, Nerrida-sama. I had fully intended to bring all our mounts back myself.”

 _“_ _How?”_ Was she fully intending to make a round trip twice?

“Kinshi have remarkable vision, milady, and Ketto is trained with visual commands. I was going to bring Tsubaki his steed back, then go back for your horse when I happened upon Gunther-san. Ketto doesn't mind two riders.” Fury flared up inside of her at the mere though of her retainer soaring through the air with another woman, his arms around her waist, laughing joyously as they shared a look of longing and-- gods above, those trashy romance novels were rotting her brain. Swallowing the words of bitterness that had been burning the tip of her tongue, Nerr inclined her head to the other woman.

 

“ _Well, I appreciate your diligence, Miss Yuugiri.”_ She would be damned if she'd refer to a Hoshidan as a knight, but it seemed Yuugiri didn't didn't even cotton onto her snide remark, delight shining in her eyes as she laughed heartily.

“Oh! 'Miss'! How wonderful; I always assumed I'd be a 'ma'am' in Nohrian culture!”

“... _indeed_ _. Perhaps you should make your way back to the others? I dare say we'd slow you down.”_

“Of course. Oh! Why don't you ride Tsubaki's mount, Lady Nerr? He's amiable enough, and while it's not the same as riding a horse, I'm certain you would catch on quick.” It was a good thing Nerr didn't have lips, because they would have been sucked into her skull as she pressed them into a thin line in her mind.

 

 _“No._ _T_ _hank you. I don't fly._ ” The Kinshi rider laughed again, mirth deepening the lines around her eyes. She would have been so pretty if Nerr didn't dislike her _so_ _oo_ much...

“You don't fly!? Of course you fly, milady; you're a princess of Hoshido! Even Azura-sama has been flying since she was a child. You have _wings!_ ”

“ _And yet,_ _I've made it clear that I wish to walk.”_ The laughter stopped, and while the blunette still smiled, it was definitely more reserved. She bowed lowly.

“Of course, Nerrida-sama. I shall indeed go find the others and inform them that you will be back shortly.” Straightening, she turned on her heel and walked back to her stupid bird. Nerr looked away from her, fuming. Another Hoshidan might have snapped insolent something back at her, but it was clear she was dealing with someone too mature to be goaded by her childish petulance. That only pissed her off more.

 

“...it would have been better if you'd gone with her, my lady. You _are_ still injured.”

“ _Right, because that herky-jerk flapping wouldn't be jarring...”_ The princess paused, only just realizing Gunther was still kneeling before her. _“Why are you still down there!?_ _Get up!”_ He did so, but with reluctance by the look of it.

“Forgive me, Lady Nerr. In truth, I was still half expecting punishment. That _is_ what royals do...”

 

“ _No, it's not.”_ She tried to smile, before remembering that she couldn't in this form. _“_ _What would I have done; mauled you for getting upset?_ _You were just_ _speaking in the heat of the moment,_ _right?”_

“Yes...”

“ _It's not like I can blame you. I mean, I_ _ **did**_ _almost run you over._ _And I forget that horses are skittish animals..._ _while you are leading a horse. On a narrow path atop a mountain notorious for people dying as they climb it... mostly from falling off, it would seem..._ _”_ She laughed weakly, even though with every word, she felt sicker to her stomach. A grown woman, facing a war, and still she had to be told not to run through the halls, not to scare thousand pound animals. What next; would she touch the stove? Would she grab her sword by the pointy end?! “ _I act without thinking more often than I have any right to..._ ” Gunther sighed heavily, walking back over to Caractacus.

 

“We all do that. And _y_ _ou're_ still young, my lady. I fear I no longer have that excuse.” She was sure he was trying to make her feel better, but really, how was him all but calling her a stupid child supposed to help in any way? Though of course that was what he thought of her; she wasn't doing much to change that perception. He had begun the trek back down the trail, then stopped, heading back to her. She half expected him to remind her this was neither the time nor place for having her head in the clouds, but instead, he simply bent down, picking something out of the dirt. “I believe this is yours, Lady Nerr.” He said, holding it up to the light. For a moment, she wondered what she could have dropped, before taking note of the strangely pointed object. It was part of her horn.

 

 _“_ _Ew!”_ He might as well have been holding one of her fingernail clippings. _“Throw it away!”_

“Are you sure? Perhaps you could have it fashioned into a weapon; dragon parts are known for being highly sought after for lances and swords, after all.”

“ _I'm not touching that. If you want it, then be my guest!”_ Shuddering, she quickly turned and trotted past him. It wasn't the first time part of her horn had broken off; Takumi- because who else would it be- had blown a chunk off at the border. She didn't feel _pain_ when they broke, per se, so much as the suggestion of discomfort, so they must not have been “horns” in the traditional sense, but... who'd ever heard of a dragon with antlers?

 

Pondering the physiology of a nearly extinct species proved to be a serviceable distraction from the other thoughts swarming in her head. She focused on remembering the things Camilla had told her about wyverns instead of the quiet clanking of armor drawing closer. Like lizards, they would fall into deep sleeps if the temperature was too low... Krakenburg had specially enchanted stables to protect against the bitter cold of winter... As Gunther fell in step beside her, she moved closer to the cliff. Normally, she wouldn't even be able to match his pace. Were she a human, she would have been desperately toying with her sweater or pommel; anything to give her hands something to do. She needed her hands to walk in this form, but that didn't do anything to alleviate the nervous energy coursing through her. It made her muscles itch and burn, and she'd probably startle Caractacus if she ran again. The knight paused, looking up at her, his brows furrowed.

 

“My lady, are you alright? Your... wings are twitching.”

“ _Yes. I just-- I'm-- it's nothi--_ _why do you hate the Rainbow Sage???”_ She hadn't even expected that outburst; if she'd actually been speaking, she would have blamed her mouth for moving before it could catch up to her thoughts, but these _were_ her thoughts. Still, she should have been glad _that_ was what came spilling out.

“What?”

“ _Nothing! I'm sorry! It's not my business..._ _except_ _now that I think about it,_ _yes, it is! You_ _knew exactly what was going to happen when we went into the Sanctuary, and you didn't say anything!”_

“I told you constantly not to bother with this.”

“ _Right, because I'm well known for listening to peoples' advice. Especially when said advice boils down to 'Don't do this. Why? Because I said so'- That didn't work when I was five, and it doesn't work now, Gunther. You know full well that if you had said 'Don't go in there because it's a_ _ **death maze**_ _'_ _, I'd have been more inclined to believe you!!”_ She stomped forward, her previous questions undercut by angry realizations. She must have been walked faster than she'd anticipated since Gunther's voice sounded rather far behind her.

 

“It wasn't like that for me!” She stopped, looking back at him. “I came here alone. No one suddenly vanished, because there was no one _to_ vanish.” Set into a brisk jog, he quickly caught up with her. “Do you know why I told you this was a waste of time, Lady Nerr? Because for me, it _was_. I didn't get lost in a maze of the mind, I didn't have to fight my way through an endless horde of the undead. I had to climb this damnable mountain twice in one day and walk to the top floor. And do you know what I found? I found that damnable 'Sage' sitting there, smug as you please, telling me I'd already found the power I was looking for because 'The journey is as important as the destination, young knight' and 'The greater power you seek, the greater price you will have to pay'. ...So I took a swing at him. And when _that_ missed, I unscrewed my pommel, threw it his head for good measure, and left. _That one_ hit.” Every word brimmed with barely contained anger and disgust. Nerr looked down at her retainer, silent as she tried to form her shock into words.

 

“... _you_ _met a dragon... and tried to_ _end him rightly?”_ In spite of his anger, the older man grinned, a quiet laugh filling the air between them.

“Obviously I failed. Does it look like he was dead?” He asked wryly. The tiny bit of levity she felt vanished.

“ _Yes._ _He... passed shortly after you left, actually._ ” Gunther displayed no surprise at her admission. It was barely noticeable, but she was certain his smile widened ever so slightly.

“Good. One less nuisance in the world. Now fools can stop throwing their lives away chasing after a fantasy.” He began walking again ahead of her, the clanking of his armor and rustling of saddle bags not nearly as comforting a sound as it had once been.

 

What did he want power so desperately for? She could understand him accompanying the king, but what could he possibly need so badly as to potentially endure “hordes of the undead”? And how could being denied it have left him so bitter for so long? That wasn't like him, but then again... did she really know what was “like him”, or did she simply know the calm, respectful front he put on for her because she was “royalty”? She knew so little about this man she presumed to care so much for. It made her wonder why she had never bothered to ask about his life before he came into her service... however, if his recent attitudes were anything to go by, it may have been for the best that her curiosity had been lacking.

 

It wasn't until Nerr could see the colorless shapes that looked vaguely Hoshidan that she released her grip on her dragonstone. When her long legs shifted back into arms, she rubbed her head where her horns were being sucked back into her skull. She could feel the split skin knit itself under her skin, a sharp pain on the left side. That was probably which horn broke. She doubted they'd actually found passage to the mainland, but hoped she would be proven wrong- the faster they could leave Notre Sagesse, the happier she would be.

 

“How now!” She called out as she approached. “Are we set to leave?” Azura, who had been speaking with Yuugiri, turned to face her.

“Yes.”

“So where's the ferry?” The singer's brows furrowed slightly.

“About that... we have a means of getting to Nohr proper, but... it's not exactly a passenger ship...”

“I hope you don't mind slumming it up, princess.” Their gruff newcomer grinned. “We don't make usually make port at respectable docks, but when we do, it's not with the merchant ships.”

 

“ 'We'? You're a sailor?”

“Something like that.” He scratched the back of his head. “I like to think of myself more as a privateer.”

“Under what flag?” Gunther asked coldly, his eyes narrowed. The other man's lips twisted in disdain.

“The nation state of hop off my nuts, old man. Do you want a ride or not?” Hinata sniggered before a punch to the arm delivered by Oboro shut him up. Before the knight could argue, Nerr stepped forward.

 

“Thank you. We would very much appreciate that, Mister.... and I'm just now realizing I never asked for your name....” She groaned silently. Of course she hadn't, why would she do something as ridiculous as ask the name of a person she had all but offered an army? The sailor (she wasn't entirely sure he was actually a commissioned privateer) laughed easily, the lines around his eyes growing deeper.

“Considering the state of you when we met, that's understandable. It's Shura. And I'm no 'mister'.” He turned about sharply. “We're anchored on the eastern side of the island. Hopefully my crew hasn't gone off whoring in my absence...” He muttered that last part more to himself than anyone.

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Well, he definitely had a ship. It wasn't nearly as grand as the galleon Camilla had come on, or even the merchant's ship they had taken from Hoshido, but Shura assured them it had endured more trying voyages than the trip from Notre Sagesse to Dia. He called up to the deck for whoever was there to lower the ramp.

 

“Cap's back!” A young, feminine voice called out as several face peered over the side of the ship.

“Oh.” A tawny man deadpanned. “You're alive.”

“Yeah, you'll have to wait a little longer. Put down the damn ramp!” He made no move to do anything.

“A sizable entourage you've picked up. Should we start looking for a bigger ship if we're getting into the press gang business?”

“I'll start looking for a new first mate if you don't _put that ramp down!”_

 

Despite the dark man remaining where he was, a ramp indeed lowered. Grumbling under his breath, Shura ran up, his heavy footfalls making the battered wood tremble. Nerr bit her lip as she stepped onto it. It was an ancient thing, half rotted and filled with splinters. Never before (and never again) had she wished she wore shoes. It took slow, calculated steps, which were made all the more difficult with Takumi plodding up behind her, making the ramp shake. The deck wasn't much better, but in truth, she would have preferred walking on broken glass to the plank- at least then there would have been none of the horrible anticipation of _waiting_ for something to pierce her foot and not having it happen. Takumi looked around, his lip turned in disgust.

 

“Ugh... it's like everything that comes out of Nohr is intrinsically horrible.”

“Well, if having someone cart you around for free isn't up to your standards, you can always swim to the mainland.” Nerr quickly dropped her sarcastic tone, frowning in earnest. “Have you any idea how spoiled, how ungrateful you are?”

“It's horrible!” The prince argued. “It's tiny and cramped and stinks to high hell!”

“It's _free!”_ She argued back. “We have very little money, Takumi. We have almost _no_ resources. In Hoshido, we got by because people recognized the royal family and were willing to accommodate you, but that won't happen here. If anyone recognizes you in Nohr, they'd be just as likely to kill you and take your head to Garon for a reward as they would offer you shelter!” The younger boy didn't say anything. Perhaps it had never crossed his mind that there could come a time in his life when his title as a prince of Hoshido wouldn't get him whatever he wanted.

 

“It's still horrible, though...” He muttered under his breath.

“It's _fine_.” In all honesty, she wasn't sure what he was complaining about. Yes, it would be a cramped journey, but it would only last a few days. Deciding she would be better for it if she put some distance between herself and the Hoshidan, Nerr found herself wandering the deck aimlessly as the others boarded. Shura was talking with the dark man, who she just noticed wore long, thin scabbards at his sides, like those Hinata and Hana donned. A woman twice as tall as her and at least three times as wide was carrying stacks of crates below deck as a hooded... figure looked over what appeared to be a map, a cat draped over their shoulder.

 

There were lots of cats, actually. Several at the... person's feet, some walking along the railing while others stretched out across the deck. Definitely not something she would expect to find on a royal ship. The sight of them, strange though it was, made her smile. She'd had a cat when she was little, a gray tom with entirely white back legs she imaginatively called “Mister Socks”. He used to sleep in the kitchens, and one day, he was just gone. Just like so many other simple, joyful things from back then...

 

“Ooooh... Fancy...” She blinked. That was the same voice she'd heard when they first approached the ship. A girl with short auburn hair, maybe her age though the dark circles under her eyes made her look older, sauntered up to her. She was watching the others pile onto the ship. “We don't get hoity-toity types on board.” She looked up at her, her smile slipping a bit as she looked her up and down. “What are you, a soldier?” She gasped, smiling widely once more. “Are you a deserter??”

“What? No!” But really, wasn't she?

“Aw... and here I thought you were interesting.”

 

“Nopal!” The girl jumped as Shura barked at her. “Stop bothering people and go... do something!” Grumbling under her breath, the girl headed over to a corner where a bucket sat. Grabbing it, she descended the stairs leading to the lower level. Shura approached her, still frowning after the girl. “Pay her no mind. You'd think she'd never seen another person the way she acts. We'll weigh anchor in a few minutes.”

“Are you the captain?” She didn't have much nautical knowledge outside of what she read in cheap thrillers (which didn't seem like a bastion of actual fact), but he certainly seemed to be a commanding presence. Shura smirked, an almost haughty expression.

“Maybe.” He undoubtedly thought he was being charming and mysterious, and at another time, perhaps he would have been, but Nerr fixed him with an unamused stare.

 

“I'm asking you a serious question. If you're the captain of this... vessel, how do you intend to travel with us?” The older man's lips turned down as he sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. The thick white curls would have been unusual enough on their own, but there was a tuft of black near his crown that left her wondering how old he must really be to have had his hair turn from such a dark shade.

“They'll be fine without me for a couple weeks; they're not some milksops whose hands I need to hold. Besides...” His expression darkened. “Dealing with Kotaro is more important than terrorizing merchants...”

“Why?” Before he could answer, a voice called out from above them.

“Captain! The sails are ready. We're all set!”

 

“Then weigh anchor!” He turned back to Nerr. “We'll have to continue this conversation at another time, your ladyship.” She nodded mutely as he jogged towards the ship's wheel. She could hear the groan and creaking of chains as the anchor was reeled in. The sails flapped loudly as they were released, catching the wind and setting them on their way.

 

It seemed that their journey to the mainland would end up going much smoother than their original voyage from Hoshido to Notre Sagesse, if only because it wouldn't take nearly as long. Far, far in the distance, so far that even to Nerr's keen eyes it was little more than a blurry shape, she was certain she saw the silhouette of a ship sailing further west. Maybe it was part of the Nohrian fleet that Camilla had accosted them with. Maybe Xander was stationed somewhere in that direction and she was returning to give him a report, lying and saying she had killed their traitor sister. Would he be distraught? Would he remember all the times before he decided if she didn't stand blindly with Nohr that she was the enemy? Or maybe he would be relieved that he didn't have to pretend to care about the Hoshidan in his midst anymore. Thinking about it made her head ache, like someone was driving a thick needle into her temple. If she asked one of the crew, maybe they would let her lay down in their sleeping quarters, but.. they all looked busy.

 

The only one who wasn't actively doing anything (as far as she could tell) was the tall, swarthy one, and the expression he wore made it seem like he really wouldn't appreciate being disturbed. Maybe she could head down to the bilge where their mounts were currently being housed- well, two of them. A kinshi was apparently not an animal you could fit in a stairwell. That would be dark and probably peaceful; she had slept in stables before... maybe not wet stables full of rats... Groaning slightly, she sat down on the deck, leaning her back against the deck. The Hoshidans were talking amongst themselves, the royals slightly off to one side while their retainers stood a bit off to the other.

 

Not all of them, though. As she took in all their many hair colors, faintly wondering how the Hoshidan royals were related to one another when they didn't even look remotely similar, she realized that at least one color was missing from the veritable rainbow. Gods, they hadn't forgotten Kaze, had they? He was so quiet, she wouldn't have even noticed if they'd left him in the Sevenfold Sanctuary. Biting her lip to distract herself from the discomfort in her stomach, she gripped the railing, trying to pull herself to her feet.

 

“Allow me to help.” She felt the hand grasp her own before she heard his voice, the resulting jolt leaving her doubled over in pain. Pulling his hand away, Kaze knelt before her, his eyes wide with concern. “Nerr-sama, are you alright? Should I get Sakura-sama, or perhaps Jakob?” The princess groaned, shaking her head.

“No... gods... how are you so quiet!? I didn't hear you until you were right in front of me!” The green-haired man couldn't hide the smirk playing across his lips.

“It is simply a prerequisite in my line of work, milady. A shinobi that cannot go unnoticed by others has no place in this world.”

 

“No... No, I'm not _others_. I'm not John Everysmith who wouldn't notice a robber until his throat was already slit- I can hear a person walking through a door!” Kaze had fixed his face into an impassive mask, but she could see the mirth twinkling in his eyes.

“I sincerely believe anyone could hear a person walking _through_ a door, milady.”

“Don't play cute with me.” His expression turned serious, any trace of humor gone from his voice.

“My apologies. I assure you, I would normally never respond in such a way, and I shan't again. I suppose I'm so used to women laughing and acting charmed whenever I say... anything, really, that it has begun to affect the way I interact with people normally.” Nerr frowned at the ninja.

 

“Why would anyone laugh at anything you have to say? You're one of the least amusing people I've ever known.” Considering in her eighteen years, she'd only known about two dozen people, that wasn't saying much, but Kaze certainly seemed taken aback by her blunt words.

“Erm... well... I don't really know. Truly, I say very mundane things, and they act like I've revealed some amazing truth about the very universe. It tends to be mostly women who react like that...” He lowered his voice, musing to himself. “I've heard my brother say he's encountered similar behavior. It's why he wears a mask- so people don't get distracted by his 'charm'--” The princess cut him off with a loud burst of uncontrollable laughter, that immediately left her clutching in stomach in agony even as she continued giggling.

“What ' _charm'_!? That one-eyed son of a bitch has all the charm of a horse's ass!” Kaze stared at her impassively.

 

“I believe he meant _physical_ charm, mila--”

“Hahahaha!!!” Every breath she took was agony, tears burned her eyes, but she couldn't stop herself laughing. “ 'Physical'-- are you telling me Says-So thinks he's handsome?! Wait.” She silenced herself, staring intently into Kaze's eyes. “You're brothers. So he looks like you under that mask.”

“People do say we look very similar-- please don't start laughing again. I'm concerned for the state of your stitches, milady.” Nerr had to bite down hard on her sleeve to keep herself silent, even as her shoulders shook with barely contained laughter. Despite being as calm as he'd been all this time, the ninja frowned slightly at her. “Why is that so funny to you?”

 

“You're not handsome! Look at you! You're... decent. You're not anything _terrible_ , you could even be attractive in the right clothes, and light and... maybe twenty more years... But you're nothing worthy of simpering false flattery. Are you sure these hordes of women you have to beat off with sticks aren't just trying to butter you up because they know you're the kind of person who knows things?”

“Of course not!” He sounded so adamant at first, but it was only a few seconds until his expression shifted to one of horrified realization. “Unless they _are...._ A woman once gave me a basket of daikons simply for giving her directions; I _knew_ that couldn't be regular behavior, but I put it from my mind... Oh, why didn't I take a cue from Saizou...?” He buried his head in his hands. Her laughter throughly expended, though the lightheartedness it brought remained, Nerr gave him a sympathetic, if not wry smile.

 

“It never even occurred to you that someone that someone you were kind to could possibly not be the same. Believe me, I once knew that feeling.” Kaze lifted his head, peering at her through his fingers. She couldn't see his expression.

“...you are referring to releasing Rinkah-sama and myself.”

“I am.” She whispered.

“...and do you regret that act of kindness?”

 

“Yes. ...no. Yes and no. I don't regret letting you live. You were no longer a threat to me or anyone else; I suppose I'd have tossed you in the dungeons were it up to me. I only regret everything that happened afterwards as a result... We wouldn't have had to go to the Chasm, Gunther wouldn't have fallen in, no open hostilities would've transgressed... Empress Mikoto wouldn't have died and the war wouldn't have started in the first place!” She didn't even realize how hard she was breathing. “You realize that, don't you? If you hadn't taken me back to Hoshido, _nobody_ would be dead!” He stared at her, the silence between them filled with waves crashing against the ship and the white noise of people talking too far away from them to care about what they were saying. He did not lower his hands from his face, instead bowed his head, concealing himself entirely.

 

“I know...” His voice was muffled, but even so, there was a tangible pain in his words. “I came to that conclusion long ago, and I have thought about it often since then.” He looked up at her sharply, his youthful face contorted as though he was in physical agony. “You must believe that I never meant to cause anyone such heartache, especially not you, Nerr-sama. I believed, as did we all, that you were Nohr's prisoner. It never crossed my mind that you could have been _happy_ there. I told Mikoto-sama that I was certain it was her daughter I had faced, and the way her eyes lit up... Even without the happenstance of Rinkah-sama finding you at the border, I'd have done everything in my power to return you to Hoshido. ...I thought you would be happy... I thought you would be reunited with your family and everything would have been as it _should_ have been from the start...”

 

He hung his head once more, but not before she noticed how misty his eyes were. For some reason, hearing this man that she had blamed for so long as being the cause of almost everything that had gone wrong since leaving the citadel (Hans was the other half of that equation) speak from the heart made her eyes burn. He wasn't an evil Hoshidan monster intent on destroying her life; he thought he was the one saving her from the real monsters. _I thought you would be happy..._ Ryouma never cared about her happiness in Hoshido, only that she stay there, at any means necessary. Nerr sniffled, wiping her nose quickly.

 

“I'm sorry that wasn't the case.” The ninja straightened, brushing his hair from his eyes (and surreptitiously wiping them in the process).

“No, milady; _I'm_ sorry. If I'd allowed myself to think on the matter objectively, I'd have remembered how young you were when you were taken, and realized that it was more than likely for you to have formed a bond with the Nohrians.” She chuckled, a weak, humorless noise, her merriment from earlier all but gone.

“You seem to know a lot about me. I mean, you knew who I was when we fought- I'm pretty sure most Nohrians wouldn't be able to recognize me even though I was their princess for fifteen years. Was I-- did people talk about me in Hoshido?”

 

“All the time, Nerr-sama. It was a dark day for our land when we lost two of our royal family on the same day.” He shook his head, his jaw setting in a way that seemed more indicative of anger than the sorrow lacing his voice. “It all could have been avoided...”

“It's hard to imagine anything Garon plans being avoidable unless you expected it from the start.”

“No... it _was_. All because of a stupid oversight... _Stupid..._!!”

“Are you alright? You've got a... crazy in your eye.” His lips thinned, in annoyance or frustration she could not tell, but it mattered not as he quickly got to his feet.

“I am fine, Nerr-sama. I need to attend to something. Forgive me.”

 

Before she could even understand what was happening, the air around him shimmered and he vanished. It had to be some kind of illusory magic, but damned if she could figure out how he was doing it. Leaning back against the railing, she sighed deeply. That... hadn't been terrible. Talking to a Hoshidan. In fact, she'd rather been enjoying herself at first (though that was probably because of how amusing his brother's delusions were). Maybe they weren't _that_ bad... well, except for Takumi and Oboro Yuugiri; they were insufferable, and the older one was just plain crazy. She felt the vibrations of steps before even noticing the thumps; a very unnerving realization. Was her hearing going? Nerr looked up to see Jakob standing a few feet from her. He bowed deeply once she had taken note of him.

 

“Would you like me to help you to the sleeping quarters, milady? I've already informed the... ahem, _crew_ that you will be requiring accommodations more suitable than a flea-infested blanket on a cold, wet floor.”

“It wouldn't be the first time I've endured those accommodations...” She trailed off, half feeling, half remembering a cold, dark floor. The broken memory made her skin hurt. “I think I _do_ need help getting up, though. Thank you.” She gripped her steward's hands as he heaved her to her feet, propping her up while she regained her balance. In place of his normally amicable smile was a severe frown.

“While I am aware that laughing is generally an uncontrollable reflex, I believe you were taught to keep such outbursts in check.” The heat rose in her cheeks.

 

“Oh. You heard that?”

“I believe _everyone_ heard that. But at least we are all now very much aware that you do not find Hoshidan ninja attractive in the slightest.” It was probably just the angle from which she was looking at him, but it almost looked like Jakob was grinning as he said that. She couldn't fault him for finding her stupidity amusing.

“Do you think I'm wrong? I mean, at least he doesn't have hair hanging past his ass, but his face is so _soft_. No angles whatsoever. He looks like a child... or a woman... And he's short.” That seemed to be a trend amongst the Hoshidans- none of them were very tall, Tsubaki and that veritable mountain of a man Fuuga aside. Even Ryouma, the tallest of the royals, was positively dwarfed by Xander. The realization that she would never be as tall as Camilla was so final that she could feel it as a physical weight in her stomach.

 

“Is he really that short, though?”

“He is to me-- don't you say anything, Jakob.”

“I give you my word that I had no intention of making a comment about your own height.” He looked away from her cold glare as he slowly led her to the stairs and, by extension, the cabins. “I have to wonder, though- and forgive me if I inadvertently cause any offense; how tall would a man have to be before he met your standards?” She didn't even have to think about that.

“About as tall as you.”

“R-really now?” Pulling her hand free, Nerr reached up to place her fingertips atop the butler's head. She had extend her arm as far as she could- without standing on her toes, she could feel the muscles in her bicep protesting.

 

“You and Gunther are about the same height. You might be a _little_ taller than him, but- heh- you're young, right? Most old people are short.” Jakob clenched his jaw so tightly she could hear his teeth creaking. She quickly lowered her arm. Gods, how idiotic. She had been wearing the same disgusting, bloody, sweat soaked rags for weeks; she probably stank like a hospice and here she was, forcing him to endure her stench. “...sorry.”

“For what, milady?” Despite _almost_ sounding the same as usual, there was definitely something clipped about his voice. “You are correct, though; people do seem to shrink in their advanced age. It probably won't be long until the old man is stooped over, using a walking stick. Hopefully he'll go into proper retirement before then.” The staircase descending into the ship's bowels was black as pitch. Or maybe it was as well lit as the upper deck and she just didn't notice.

 

He was right, her mind told her calmly, coldly. Everything Jakob said was right. One day... one day, her big, strong knight wouldn't be big or strong anymore. Despite his many promises when she was a terrified, weeping child to never leave her side, he would get older and older, and then he would die. The Rainbow Sage's words echoed in her mind, a chilling specter's voice, _Manaketes are a long-lived species..._ He had been millenia old, but even if she wasn't as powerful as the First Dragons, he had still implied that her natural lifespan could be centuries. _No one_ would live that long. It wasn't just Gunther; she would have to watch Jakob, Xander, even Elise wither and die while she was left behind. _Living for so long is a wonderful thing... until it's not..._ Fifteen years had gone by already, so quickly she barely even remembered them.

 

“Lady Nerr? What's wrong? Why are you crying?” She hadn't even noticed the tears dripping off her chin until Jakob had brought it up. He noticed everything about her; when she was hungry or hurt or just needed someone to talk to, and she couldn't even do the same for him. Turning, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his vest. She remembered pricking her fingers so many times when she'd sewn it; how many times had he pricked his own finger picking up a vase or lamp she'd carelessly knocked over?

 

“I'm sorry, Jakob. I'm so sorry!”

“For what? Milady, are you running a fever?”

“Please don't die, Jakob...!”

“What are you talking about? Oh... is this about what I said about the old man?” He lifted her chin. It was too dark for him to see her, but she could see him just fine. He probably knew that. “I beg you forgive my callous remark, Lady Nerr. I only spoke in jest; I thought you realized that, but... _I_ should have realized it would hurt you. I must stop doing that...”

“You were right, though...!”

 

“Hokum. A war and two famines couldn't kill that grizzled old badger. Falling into the Infinite Chasm couldn't kill him. The old man is going to be putting us through our paces until one of us dies, and I am absolutely certain that he's going to outlive us both simply to spite me.” Nerr was grateful for the darkness; she didn't want anyone seeing her tear and snot-streaked face. Despite all that, she managed a watery laugh even as her voice cracked pitifully.

“That's... actually pretty terrible and I shouldn't find it comforting... but I do. Thank you, Jakob.”

“Of course, milady. I would walk across burning coals on my hands if it would put a smile on your face.” Leaning heavier on him than she needed to, they traversed the dim corridors to the sleeping cabin.

 

It was far smaller and far less organized than either ship she had been on before, but Nerr was so weary she would have been happy with a pillow on the floor. Another cat jumped up beside her as she sat down, and while Jakob sought to chase it away, she bade him leave it be. It's purring as it settle on what would have been _her_ pillow was soothing, and she needed all the soothing she could get as her retainer unwrapped her dressings. They were damp, but not nearly as bloody as she had been expecting. The butler seemed pleased, for, despite her constantly straining her stitches, the laceration was beginning to show signs of healing. It was normal for such a severe injury to ooze; Nerr wouldn't know, due to never actually needing to wait for her body to actively go through such things. The pain as he waved the healing staff over her seemed to radiate more through her arms and legs, probably bruises from falling down the stairs in the sanctuary. He demanded that she actually _rest_ this time, for there had barely been a day since she'd awoken from her fainting episode that something demanding exertion didn't occur.

 

“I don't care if the bloody ship is on fire; you are to lay here while I put it out.”

 

There was once a time when she would've argued with him; she needed to keep an eye on thing, she needed to talk to Azura and make plans, she needed to feel useful... The princess nodded silently. She was tired. She didn't _want_ to be useful. She wanted, at least for a while, to simply pretend she was back home and put off her lessons and training and just _sleep._ It didn't come easily anymore; gone were the days when she found herself being shaken awake in the stables and the library and in the tub with no recollection of falling asleep in the first place. But when there was relative calm like now, she managed to find a sort of half-way point to sleep, not enough to leave her feeling truly rested but a good enough start. If she stayed in that almost-nap state, eyes half closed and breathing deeply she could pretend she was back home. In her own bed, an open book laying on her bedside table, her armor and waster lying beside her armoire, ready for training in the morning.

 

And when she closed her eyes all the way, she could see the paintings hung on the wall opposite her. The only real “art” to be found in the citadel. A portrait of her and her siblings- Xander told her that another copy, that one including their father as well, hung in the halls of Krakenburg, but she wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or just trying to make her feel better. Everyone had dressed up in their finest clothes, coming to the Citadel and bringing a painter with them. She had sat between Elise and Camilla, while their brothers stood behind them. It was a lovely picture- she actually looked like a princess in it, but deep in her heart, she liked the other one better. It was much, much smaller, and not painted nearly as well, but she compensated for that by coaxing Leo to buy a fancy frame for it. Much the same layout as the other one, only her servants and retainers' clothes were not nearly as grand. She was smiling wider in that picture- after all, it wasn't anything official. Just a portrait of her and her... family. Gunther had kept his hand on her shoulder the entire five hours (probably to keep her from bouncing around). It was a silly, childish thing, but it always made her smile. She wished she could have another portrait, with _everyone_ together. Maybe even with Azura; even if she was from Valla, she was a Nohrian royal. They were sisters, in a weird, loophole of a way. After the war... maybe she could convince Xander to commission another artist. If they didn't die. If Anankos didn't finish them off.

 

The days seemed to blur together as she dozed and woke, never sure what time of day it was. Jakob, and once or twice Sakura, brought her food, but hard biscuits and salted rinds weren't the kind of thing she could easily distinguish between “breakfast” and “dinner”. Sometimes, the pirates came into the the cabins, either to sleep or get their belongings, but they paid her little mind and she returned the favor. Once, she'd awoken to no less than five cats sleeping atop her, and the hooded person standing over her, trying to coax them back. They sounded like a woman, maybe?, and tersely apologized. It was fine; the weight and warmth only lulled her back to sleep. Sometimes she dreamed. That was a rare occurrence, and Nerr found herself grateful for it. Dreams of lakes and oceans, of being pulled under the currents and countless unblinking eyes that glazed over and turned into those of dead soldiers when she drew near left her waking up to the taste of blood and vomit, her lips chewed raw.

 

After one such nightmare, she forced herself to get up, her entire body feeling as though it had been filled with lead. Her jaw and head ached terribly. The whole time she'd slept, she'd woken up, convinced someone was calling her, only to find no one there. She was just hearing things in her sleep... and out of her sleep, apparently. The princess frowned, rubbing her eyes as she tried to make sure she was actually awake this time. Yes, yes; she was conscious. The voices were faint, but definitely there. Cupping her hands to her ears, she concentrated. It sounded like... music? Groaning, Nerr got to her feet, trying to comb her fingers through her tangled hair as she sought the source of noise. Every step she took through the halls found the music- it was definitely music- growing louder. She peered into a larger room filled with crates and barrels and people; all of the Hoshidans, both her retainers, and more than a few of Shura's crew had all crowded into what she assumed was their mess hall. A deeply tanned man in a gray jerkin skillfully played a violin while the massive woman kept percussion with a tambourine. At first, she had no idea what song was being played until he opened his mouth.

 

“ _You would not believe your eyes, how a voice could hypnotize~”_ Nerr gasped in sheer delight, smiling so widely her cheeks hurt. That was one of the songs Gunther had taught her as a child! He'd tried to teach her the interlude's melody along with the lyrics, but that was like learning to fly from a dog- neither party had any business expecting results. Barely able to contain her excitement, she snuck along the back wall, behind the smiling, clapping crowd.

“ _She was born a river queen, ne'er to grace the land~”_ Her retainers alone seemed to notice her, Jakob immediately vacating his seat atop one of the barrels and offering it to her. Some of the pirates joined in at the chorus, and she could just hear Sakura speaking to Azura over the din.

 

“Nee-sama, y-you should sing with them!” The singer's smile dimmed as she shook her head, a forlorn look in her eyes.

“I don't know this song, Sakura.” She sounded so sad; it was plain as day that she _longed_ to join in with the others. Nerr knew exactly how she felt. She could feel the music inside her, overtaking all the sadness and worry and anger that'd she'd ever felt in her life and making her feel _free_. She too had begun clapping without noticing. It was so loud; no one could hear her. No one even saw her. Emboldened by that realization, she joined in for the final verse.

 

“ _She will get inside your mind, lovely Lorelei.... when she cries b--”_

 _“ 'Be with me until the end of time' you know you will ever be with your Lorelei...”_ The princess stopped herself, staring at her retainer as she tried to quash the laughter building inside her chest. He may have been just as quiet as her, but Nerr was pretty sure _everyone_ could hear Gunther, his voice was so... _off_. She quickly looked away before he could notice her noticing. He was enjoying himself as much as she was; she couldn't take that away from him ...even if it _did_ sound like a wyvern trying to speak. As bad as it was, it made her smile even more. How many years had it been since she'd heard even a little bit of levity in his voice? The pirates hooped and hollered as the song ended, their musical friend standing and giving a very exaggerated bow. Nerr gasped slightly as he bent, revealing that what she had taken for unruly cowlicks were actually flicking, triangular ears atop his head.

 

“That man has ears...!” She exclaimed in a hoarse whispers. Azura leaned over, a mock whisper behind her hand.

“Most people do.” Straightening, the singer spoke normally. “He's a nekotama, I think. A shape-shifter like the Kitsune, but far less vicious from what I've heard.” The teal-haired girl turned her attention back to the apparently Hoshidan musician. Did Nohr have so many shape-shifters? She was vaguely aware of wolf-men who lived high in the mountains, but if there were others, she couldn't think of any.

 

“Thank you, thank you! Any requests?”

“Give us the one of the wench with the rolling eye!” The... nekotama? gasped, putting on a show of acting affronted, though it was clear from his grin that he was anything but.

“How _dare_ you? We are in the company of gentle born ladies and lords... if I'm gonna sing about whores, I'm gonna get paid for it; they can afford it.” The room erupted in laughter, and Nerr found herself smiling wider than she could remember in years. Gods above, how wonderful would it be if _this_ could be her life? If there was no war, no famine, no eldritch power pushing them all to the brink of annihilation waiting outside?A world where Nohrians and Hoshidans could not only get along, but _thrive?_ It was a fool's dream, but such a beautiful one.

000

 

While time was decidedly _not_ on their side, and gods only knew how long it would take to find Ryouma, much less Xander, AND convince them that they were wrong and she was right, Nerr was disappointed almost to the point of physical sickness to bid Shura's crew goodbye. They had finally reached Port Dia's docks, and while the pirates too had disembarked, it was clear that once they had stocked up on supplies that they would be back out at sea. It should have disgusted her, that she would feel an almost camaraderie with who she was certain were criminals, but really, she was no better. They pillaged, she murdered, neither under the jurisdiction of a kingdom... And yet, for a short time, she had forgotten that. She had kept herself busy counting the paltry funds Camilla had gifted her with as the white-haired man left his quartermaster with instructions. She quickly replaced the leather pouch back into her bag as he approached.

 

“Sad to see 'em go?” Nerr only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Shura made a thoughtful noise. “Gotta say, I'm surprised. You're a princess; I'd have thought you couldn't wait to be back on land where you could sleep in feather beds and eat pheasants again.” There was something in his tone that needled her, and the princess turned around to face him.

“...do I _look_ like I've been sleeping in feather beds?”

“No.” The pirate conceded. “Honestly, you look like shit- pardon my language, ladyship. But I guess running off with a holy sword and making enemies of both countries precludes you from obtaining things like wealth and support...” He was absolutely right, but before she could inform him that she hadn't “run off” with anything, Azura approached him.

 

“Nerr, we need to figure out which route we're going to take to Chevalier.”

“First, we need to get more supplies. Namely food and warm clothes. We'll have to forego the hope of sleeping indoors for a while, but at least we won't starve.” Shura chuckled darkly.

“That's more than most people can say around here.”

“All too true...” She followed the singer back towards the others. Those fleeting, golden glances didn't go unnoticed by her. “Something on your mind?” The blunette pursed her lips slightly, choosing her words carefully.

 

“The other day, I heard you singing along with that song.”

“And?”

“Do you know it?”

“Of course; I would've had a hard time singing along with it otherwise.” Azura fell silent for a long time. When she spoke up again, her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Could you... teach it to me? It's a Nohrian song, right? ...my mother knew so many songs; she used to sing them for King Garon, but when I was taken to Hoshido, I made a point of forgetting them. I didn't want to even think about Nohr in that capacity... I'd forgotten how lovely the songs are, though.”

 

“...sure. When we have a bit of time, perhaps when we make camp one day.” Azura smiled slightly, a tentative grin.

“I was honestly expecting you to say no.” Nerr in turn gave a sly smirk of her own.

“And miss an opportunity to extol the superiority of Nohrian music? Not on your life.” If only her elevated mood could have persisted. The first thing she noticed as they came upon the group already talking amongst themselves, was that they were a group. A group of Hoshidans, milling about, and whispering in a very Nohrian territory. The princess groaned under her breath, but rolled her shoulders back, clapping Takumi hard on the shoulder in a friendly manner (at least, to an outside perspective).

 

“No need to whisper, friend; merchants have nothing to hide.” Shrugging her hand away, the white-haired boy glared at her.

“Are you mad?”

“No, but I think _you_ all might be. This? Right here? What you're doing? Looks very suspicious. Nohrians don't want to see a group of foreigners huddled together and whispering any more than Hoshidans would. So act like normal humans.” Despite Takumi's sour expression, Kaze nodded sagely.

“Nerr-sama is correct. In truth, we have nothing to hide. We are simply travelers headed to another prefecture. I have been to Nohr several times, and never had anyone view me with suspicion when I was not acting suspicious.”

 

“See? Simple. So just act like people, not spies.” She sighed and pulled out the coin purse once more. “Regardless of which route we take, it's going to be anything but pleasant. I'm going against _all_ of my principals, but I'm going to give all you some of the coin my sister gifted to me so you can buy something to keep you warm.” She counted out twenty coins and handed them, first to Gunther and Jakob, then Azura and Sakura before turning to the others. Takumi, as seemed to be his natural reaction when faced with anything she had to say, regarded her with suspicion.

“What we're wearing now is fine. You could use that coin to hire a carriage.”

“What you're wearing now is absolutely _not_ fine.”

“It's not even that cold!”

 

“Takumi-sama is right!” Oboro stepped forward, eying the money in Nerr's hand with disdain. “We haven't had any problems thus far with what we're wearing. Sure, they might need a wash, but out clothes are better than anything anyans can offer.” Before she could respond (undoubtedly with several insults directed at the quality of Hoshidan clothes), Jakob stepped forward as well, bearing down on the lancer.

“Your rags may have been fine for Hoshido, but you aren't _in_ Hoshido anymore, now are you? It may not feel as such as we are in the furthest reaches of the south, but I assure you that it is winter. The Norhian cold has frozen solid heartier folk than you lot, so I suggest you accept my lady's kindness, thank her, and be grateful you aren't simply being left to wander in blizzards until you die.” Perhaps it was his words, the realization that a born and bred Nohrian might know more about the climate west of the Chasm than them, or simply because the cold flint of his eyes left little room for argument, but whatever the case, Takumi accepted the coin she once again offered him without complaint. Well... without _much_ complaint.

 

“Where are we supposed to even buy anything from?”

“The hell if I know. I've only seen Nohr south of Windmire on maps.” Nerr grumbled. It was a port city- if nothing else, she knew that they were amongst the wealthiest in the kingdom thanks to Leo; Camilla claimed she never had patience for the affairs of the duchies. It would, at the very least, sell cloth, and if they were lucky, perhaps some second-hand clothes. Shura sauntered up to them, the corner of his mouth quirked ever so slightly.

“I've been to Dia's port once or twice in my time. Learned a few places where things can be found for cheap. 'Course, information comes at a prince.” He rubbed his fingers together, and Nerr shoved a share of coins between them. He seemed somewhat shocked by her actions. Had he expected her to argue, to demand that he simply bow to her whims? She raised a brow.

“Those places?” She prompted.

“Um... yeah. This way; you never wanna go anywhere with an inviting storefront- those are for rubes.” He headed in the direction of one of the many narrow alleys, with the others trailing behind him. As they walked, the Nohrian princess pocketed a few more coins for herself, before handing the purse to Jakob. He smiled benignly at her.

 

“I shall guard your coin with my life, Lady Nerr.”

“I was actually hoping you'd spend it.” The steward blanched.

“Wh-what?”

“We need more supplies than just clothes, Jakob. Food, staves, vulneraries; I know for certain that you have an encyclopedic knowledge of both the culinary _and_ healing arts, so I trust that you would know what a group of this size would need for, say, two weeks of travel?” Jakob stared at her, eyes wide, mouth ever so slightly agape. As the seconds dripped by, it was starting to get a bit unnerving. “Uh... Jakob?”

 

“I... I am honored you hold my abilities in such high regards, milady! I will not disappoint you! If you so ordered me to buy the ocean for a pence, I would ensure you have change to spare!” She gave an amused huff.

“I have no doubt you would...” A quiet scoff behind them wiped the beaming smiled from Jakob's face like rag cutting through dust. He looked over his shoulder, glowering.

“Do you have a problem, old man, or are you just catching your death of cold?”

“Jakob!!” He had _just_ said he would stop speaking like that, but it seemed that old habits died hard. Gunther, for his part, didn't so much as bat an eye.

“Stop being so presumptuous, boy. You couldn't haggle your way out of a wet sack, and if you go up to any merchant with that attitude of yours, they're going to take your money and sell you a crate of air.” Jakob brushed him off.

 

“Do you honestly think some simple-minded peasant could outsmart me?”

“Of course not; after all, _you're_ the one brash enough to walk around with the fall of your trousers hanging open.”

“What!?” As he looked down in horror, the knight slapped him across the head. “What in all the hells, old man!?”

“If it was that easy for a simple-minded peasant to outsmart you, imagine what will happen when there's money on the line...” Nerr could feel the loathing radiating off her steward, but in truth, Gunther was right. Jakob, earnest and self-assured though he was, had not left the citadel since he came into her service. He may have done everything _in_ the citadel, but the older man was the one who ventured out every month to buy supplies.

 

“Then you two go together.”

“What?” They asked in unison.

“Jakob will know what to buy, and Gunther will know how much to pay for it. Beautiful; I am a genius.” Her retainers didn't quite seem to agree.

“But I'm--!”

“I don't--!”

“You're so lucky to have such clever retainers, Nerr.” Azura intoned, her voice just a little louder than it needed to be. “It's no wonder they reflect _so well_ on you with everything they do.” At once, both men fell silent. Nerr was genuinely impressed; _t_ _hat_ was how you shamed someone into behaving. She slowed her gait until she fell in step with the singer.

 

“You have the barbed tongue of a true Nohrian princess.” She muttered to the other woman, quickly adding, “I mean that in the highest regards, of course.” To her (pleasant) surprise, Azura did not balk at those words, but smiled.

“Thank you. I've begun to realize something; what's the point of being a princess of two lads if you cannot borrow from either at your leisure?” Nerr remained silent, mulling over her words. It had never, not once, occurred to her that she could actually be a Hoshidan princess in anything but blood. It served no purpose to her, as far as she was concerned. But was it not wise to use every tool available in one's arsenal?

000

 

True to his word, Shura indeed knew many places in Dia, and seemed to know the owners of those places personally. Knowing did not translate to getting along with, however, and more than once, he deigned to stay outside.

 

“I may or may not owe a few people money.” He said, his tone flippant.

“Would that be because you've robbed them?” Nerr asked as she waited for the Hoshidans outside one of the clothiers they'd visited. It seemed more prudent that, seeing as there were so many in the seaside town, that they not all pile into one place at once, instead visiting different locations two or three at a time. The pirate gasped in mock affront.

“Of course not! ...if I rob someone, you can be sure they'll never know it was me.”

“Hmm.” She leaned against the brick, the sound of stone against her cuirass grating her ears. She could hear tapping, and a cursory glance revealed it was Shura's boot. He seemed agitated, but for what reason she couldn't be certain. It wasn't as though there was anyone coming; perhaps because of the cold, the streets were rather empty, and Gunther informed her that unless there was an active threat, the border guards wouldn't bother coming so far from their post. Oh well; she wasn't going to pry it out of hi--

 

“Doesn't any of this bother you?” He asked sharply. The princess glanced at him.

“Of course. I would think war bothers _everyone_.”

“Not the war! _This_. _Me._ ”

“Why would you bother me? You've been extremely helpful, very polite, you haven't tried to kill me yet; I daresay you're one of the only people I've picked up along the way that I didn't immediately regret.”

 

“I'm a pirate. A thief. An outlaw--”

“You're a criminal; I got that the first time.”

“So why aren't you bothered by that!? You're a princess! You're hanging round with three-fifths of the Hoshidan royal family! Why haven't you tried to clap me in irons yet?” Despite herself, Nerr could not help but laugh.

 

“ _What_ irons? Do you think I walk around with shackles in my bustier? And even if I did, _where_ would I put you? As you yourself said, I've made enemies of both countries. I'm not going to be waltzing into any castles proclaiming that I've captured a wanted pirate. As of right now, you an I are equals in the eyes of the sovereigns. And even when I reclaim my rightful place, I assure you that I am not without sin.” Shura stared at her, his dark eyes inscrutable. Finally, he made a noise caught somewhere between a laugh and a scoff.

“You're something else, Lady Nerr. Never thought I'd live to see the day when a royal'd say they're just as bad as me.”

“I know many of them are.”

“Yeah, I do too.” He muttered, a darkness overtaking his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. “But you'd never hear _them_ admit it.” A long silence passed between them, broken up only by the muffled sounds of those in the store talking. Nerr was perfectly content to wait for the others to join them in that peaceful silence, but Shura spoke up once more.

 

“Aren't _you_ gonna buy something new to wear? Those rags look like they're on their last legs.” She frowned. She knew her clothes were in a terrible state, but she didn't need _him_ pointing it out. Blood, sweat, pus and dirt were beaten into the fibers of her sweater so deeply she doubted even boiling it in ash would clean it. Her tights were more holes than cloth at this point, and while she once had a cape to ward off the chill, it- like so much- had been lost in Hoshido.

“Obviously I am. I'm just waiting--”

“Well, don't. ...wait that is. Instead of waiting, you can get your garbs while everyone else is busy, and then we can all continue on our merry way to... wherever it is you're dragging me.”

“To find Prince Ryouma.” She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or not, but it certainly looked like the mention of the new Hoshidan emperor inspired the same reaction in the pirate as Kotaro. The only difference was he didn't seem to dwell on it this time.

 

“Well. Then let's find you something to wear before we go a-hunting for Ryouma-sama.” Stretching slightly, he began walking, turning around to face her as he continued at his set pace. “Come on, princess. I'm sure you don't have all day.” Frowning slightly, Nerr followed him with slow, cautious steps. Despite his charm and amiable nature (or perhaps in part because of it) he was still, by his own admission, a dangerous criminal. After all, she'd heard enough reports from Xander to know that despite how adventure and romance novellas painted them, a pirate was just a brigand on a boat.

“And where exactly are we going, Shura?”

“A higher quality place than these dumps. It's where I got this _lovely_ ensemble from.” If nothing else, she had to admit that his cloak looked warm... She was wary, yet could not suppress her intrigue. Perhaps in part due to the fact that, for so, so many years, she had longed for this. Not... traipsing about with a pirate, but the freedom to walk around a city and shop.

 

It had always been one of her favorite things to hear about from others; Leo told her of the manuscript workshops he frequented, Camilla of all the jewelers and dressmakers. When Xander traveled to the other cities, he would write reports for her explaining everything from wineries and smithies to candy makers in painstaking details. Unsurprisingly, her favorite recounts of life outside the citadel came from Gunther, sometimes regaling her with tales of Cyrkensia, and others just telling her about what happened when he came back from Windmire. The thought of a city with streets of water entranced her as much as the possibility of simply perusing little stalls selling cheap knickknacks. Such a simple thing when they spoke of it, but a dream held near and dear to her heart since she was a child. A dream, she realized, probably would have remained a dream if not for the war. If he'd had no use for her to bring his sword into Hoshido to start his war, Garon probably would have kept her locked in the Northern Citadel until her dying day. It was enough to make her sick, but she didn't have a chance to stew in the horrific details as Shura stopped suddenly.

 

“Here you go, princess. The highest class clothes Dia has to offer... someone on a budget.” He pushed the door open, the bass bell affixed to it's frame clanging far too loudly for so quiet a shop. It looked no different from the others save for the sheer amount of ready-made clothing piled high on shelves, in baskets, even on the floor itself. A weary looking woman leaned on the counter, counting out beads on an abacus. She looked up as the door opened, her bored expression changing halfway through her deadpan greeting.

“Hello, let me know if I can help you with... Ashyura. Don't you have a warrant on your head?”

“Come now; you don't discuss such personal matters with customers, do you?”

“Customers, no. Ruttish swine on the other hand--” Nerr cleared her throat just loudly enough to get the woman's attention.

“Yes, hello? Your actual customer is waiting...?” The owner (at least, she assumed the woman was the owner- why else would she put on such a sorry display in front of potentially paying customers?) pursed her lips as though she'd just drank a spoonful of vinegar. She pointed at Shura.

 

“You. Leave. Your kind is no longer welcome in my establishment.”

“Like I'd be interested in your shitty rags anyway!” He boasted as he backed out of the door. The princess had to admit, it must have taken an extremely interesting man if nothing else to get banned from a frippery. Huffing, the woman's annoyed expression returned once more it's unaffected state as she slumped back over the counter.

“So, what I can help you with?” She droned.

“Erm... clothes. Wool, preferably. Tights, tunics- a gambeson if you have one.” Given how little her breastplate covered, it would be nice to have an extra layer of protection. The shopkeep frowned.

 

“ 'Gambeson'? You don't look like a soldier.” The princess nodded.

“I'm not. I'm... a sellsword.”

“Oh. Makes sense. No respectable sort would hang 'round a goat fucker like Ashyura.”

“ _Ashyura?_ ” That was a strange way of pronouncing his name.

“Yeah. ...huh. Guess you don't know him after all.” Well, that was true, but she had at least assumed she knew his name since he had given it to her himself.

 

Putting it from her mind, Nerr began perusing the piles the woman directed her to while she went to the back, as she didn't keep soldier's gear out front where anyone could walk in and take it. All the clothes she looked through were clean, but many in various states of disrepair, some bearing slashes with rust-colored stains around them. An unnerving amount of the things she saw were downright tiny, most likely having belonged to children. While it was possible some people might simply have had no need for such garments when their children outgrew them, she would have assumed that the kinds of people desperate enough to sell their clothes would pass them on to their grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She herself had worn Camilla's cast offs for a good five years, and even then she retooled the cloth instead of getting rid of it. ...the grain harvest _had_ been bad this year... and it was only the latest in a long string of poor growing seasons... There was so little food in the winter, especially for the small folk.

 

In her desperation to get out of the frippery as quickly as possible, Nerr had simply grabbed the thickest things that seemed to fit her; she could mend any holes later. The only gambeson that hadn't belonged to a Faceless didn't even have sleeves, but she would take what she could get. She all but threw the money at the woman when her total came up (more than she had expected, but a well made arming coat wasn't the kind of item one could find cheap anywhere). She didn't _seem_ offended, but even if she had, the princess was already out the door before the shopkeep could tell her to come again. She very nearly ran into Shura, who was waiting just outside the door.

 

“That was quick. I thought women liked to browse for hours, figuring out what color best matched their shoes?”

“I don't wear shoes.” Nerr told him tersely, trying to remember the route back to the clothier where they'd left Takumi and his retainers. The older man frowned slightly as he followed her.

“Did something happen? Don't tell me Sara was rude to you. I know she doesn't take kindly to scumbags, but she wouldn't take it out on _you_.”

“She didn't.” She muttered, slowing down and soon stopping all together. “...the famines... are they particularly bad down south?” Shura stopped a few steps behind her. He remained silent for a long while.

 

“Down _here?_ Not so much. There's usually fish to be had, even if it's not as much as it would be in the warmer months. ...get away from the docks, though... well... it depends on the gods, I suppose. If they're in a good mood, there might be deer or rabbits frozen in the snow drifts some lucky sumnabitch can find... and if they're not...” He sighed, a deep, weary sound pulled up from the depths of his soul. “I wouldn't wish that hell on the Mokushuujin.” She could hear his boots scuffing along the cobbled stones as she stared down at the clothes in her hands. Had they been sold for food? Or had they been plucked from a body lying in one of those snow drifts? Shura patted her lightly on the shoulder, a quick, almost nervous gesture, but one comforting in it's familiarity.

“Hey. It's not even midwinter now, so don't worry about it. Besides, blizzards always hit up north first, and if push comes to shove, you can always just hightail it back to Hoshido, right?” She probably could. Ryouma had been insistent that she was a member of their royal family, so she could undoubtedly just take a ferry back across the sea where even winter was mild and lush... while children starved on this side. Wordlessly, she clutched her bundle tighter and continued walking.

 

The others had finished procuring their clothes as well by the time she got back. Even before she saw them, she could hear Oboro complaining loudly about how ugly Nohrian clothes were. Considering that her most notable fashion statement was pumpkin orange and navy blue, Nerr didn't feel she had any ground to stand on when it came to “ugly”, but she was too tired to bother sinking to that level. She nearly ran into Kaze leading the others back to them as well. Sakura had already donned her new purchase, a dark red cloak. Judging by the wide smile on her face, _she_ seemed to appreciate good textiles. From her periphery, she could see Azura staring at her.

 

“Are you alright, Nerr?” The Nohrian princess nodded mutely, finally finding the willpower to open her mouth almost a solid minute later.

“When Gunther and Jakob are done getting provisions, we'll figure out the best route to go.”

“Isn't the best route the most direct one?” Hinata asked, a bemused frown marring his normally chipper features. “I mean, don't they say a straight line gets you from point one to point two?” Yuugiri, who was draping her own cloak over her shoulders, frowned slightly as well. It was the first time Nerr had seen her wear any expression other than that empty smile since she'd first seen her back in Castle Shirasagi.

 

“That would be the case under optimal circumstances. But our circumstances aren't optimal, I'm afraid. If it truly is as cold as the Nohrians say it is, staying close to the coast will help us avoid the brunt of it. And who knows how many Nohrian base camps are set up around here, given how close we are to both the border _and_ the ocean? So many soldiers... how many of them have seen combat before, I wonder...?” That glossy-eyed grin was working it's way back onto her face, and Nerr shuddered violently. _How?_ How could anyone enjoy battle _that much??_ She wasn't alone in her distaste, at least. Shura backed away from the older woman, giving her an uncomfortable sidelong stare.

 

“Yeeeeeaah... Since it's probably going to take Assholes One and Two a while to get back, I'm going to go see about something.”

“Where are you going?” The teal-haired girl asked sharply. The pirate waved her concerns off with practiced nonchalance.

“Don't worry about it; I'm not going to bring the border guards back. I'm just going to check on a few things. I'll be back before you've even realized you miss me, ladyship.” It wasn't the same magical vanishing that Kaze used, but he definitely melted into the shadows quickly enough for it to count. She could hear someone walking in the distance, but couldn't tell if it was him or someone else.

 

In the lull, while the Hoshidans once again began speaking amongst themselves, Nerr leaned against the nearest wall, closing her eyes. It was difficult to imagine the war not picking up it's pace in the coming months, if not weeks. If Gunther was right- and she had no reason to assume he wouldn't be- Garon had already prepared his fleet and would be sending them out to Hoshido all too soon. And when that happened, Ryouma would still be in Nohr and no even realize that his country was being laid to waste. Despite her utter disdain for him, she wished she could speak with their strategist. If she asked Takumi or Sakura how many troops Hoshido had, she'd probably get an answer along the lines of “a lot”. She needed to know exactly how long they could stand against Nohr- _if_ they could stand against Nohr- to know how much time she had to rally both lands against their true foe. Ugh, just thinking of logistics like that made her head pound in time to her pulse.

 

“Um...?” Cracking open an eye, she looked down, surprised to see Sakura fidgeting uncomfortably before her.

“Yes?”

“Are-- are you alright, nee-sama? You look pale. You're not sick, are you?” Nerr frowned slightly.

“Why would I be sick?” The younger girl looked down, twisting the hem of her skirt between her fingers.

“Th-there are illnesses endemic to the islands around Hoshido. I don't know if-if they're found in Nohr too, but we just left an island, so I was worried...” She trailed off, mumbling under her breath. The Nohrian princess shook her head.

“No, Sakura. I'm not sick. Sick at heart, maybe. Sick of thinking of war, and famine and death... but that's not something a vulneray can fix, now is it?”

 

“..M-mother used to say things like that, too...” She was taken aback by that unforeseen shift in the conversation.

“Oh?” Sakura nodded, perhaps emboldened by her sister's interest, however small it was.

“She always looked so calm and c-collected when she spoke at court, but when everyone left... she looked so tired. Sometimes the Faceless w-would wipe out entire villages... and the people would come to her... and say 'we've lost our homes, we've lost our livelihoods, our families; when will you do something about it? Why won't you help us?'...” The peach-haired girl sniffled quietly. “And she would compensate them and tell them she was doing everything in her power to stop the attacks, but one day I heard her talking to Yukimura-san, and telling him how it made her sick to her soul to know she couldn't actually do anything to make it stop.”

 

She rubbed her eyes with her fist, tears rolling down her cheek. Wordlessly, Nerr reached out, stroking the other girl's hair. It was only natural, perhaps, that she in turn leaned forward, burying her face in her sister's side as she wept quietly. The Hoshidans glanced over at the slight commotion, quickly deciding that nothing was amiss (well, perhaps not Hana, who's stone-faced glare lasted until her companion forcibly turned her away). They stayed like that until the clacking of steel on stone alerted her to the return of her retainers. Jakob was at her side at once, bowing lowly.

 

“Forgive the delay, milady. _Someone_ decided to waste our time.”

“It's not a waste of time, you damned ass fool. Caractacus needed to be re-shod. Unless _you_ feel like carrying all these supplies.” Indeed, the courser was weighed down with supplies, but he didn't even seem to notice, much more interested in his newly filled feedbag. Gunther dug through one of the saddlebags, pulling out a folded piece of parchment and bringing it over to Nerr. The others crowded around as he opened it. She recognized the map of Nohr, but there were certain areas that were circled that must not have been put there by a cartographer. “These areas, Lady Nerr, are where King Garon stationed command posts during the last war. The fact that Dia isn't already overrun with soldiers means he's more confident this time, and with any hope, he'll _stay_ like that.” She took the map from him, frowning at it. She remembered staring at these bland drawings and falling asleep during her lessons.

 

“This is Chevalier?” She pointed towards an expanse of wasteland just north of Cyrkensia, earning a nod. “So we can just head straight west out of Dia and as long as we don't stray too far north or south, we should be safe from the soldiers. Seems simple enough.”

“Getting _to_ Chevalier isn't the problem, my lady. Getting _in_ will be much more trying, but we'll have a while yet to gauge how many soldiers are stationed around here. Regardless, with their own knights, the duchy itself may well be better guarded than any official command post. With Nestra being neutral and often visited by Hoshidans, the border directly south will probably be the most heavily fortified, so we may need to circle around and come in through the north.”

“W-wow...” The knight stopped talking, looking down at Sakura, who stared up at him with wide eyes. She shrank under his gaze, edging closer to Nerr. “Y-you sound like Yukimura-san... After the first battle, I-I heard him talking like that... I didn't understand anything...” She hazarded another glance. “A-are you a tactician, G-Gunther-san?” He smiled at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

 

“No, Princess Sakura. I'm just an old man who's seen too much war. Thirty years ago, I'd have been one of the soldiers we're now trying to avoid. My knowledge comes from that, not textbooks and treatises.” Nerr felt her heart flutter in her chest as she gazed up at her retainer in awe, her lips moving before her brain could shut them down.

“I would rather listen to you than read a musty old textbook any day.” ' _Oh my gods, SHUT UP!!!!'_ She screamed mentally as the horror of what she'd just said congealed in her stomach. Yuugiri tittered behind them.

“I agree with you whole heartedly, Nerrida-sama. The best lessons come from doing, not sitting in a dark room with one's nose buried in a book. Yukimura would do well to learn that.” Takumi was not impressed, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“Yukimura would have us organizing a defensive strike against those command posts before they could send more soldiers to Hoshido instead of trying to skirt around them like timid mice.” Before Nerr could tell him off, Azura stepped in front of her brother, inhaling deeply as she fixed him with a hard stare that he immediately looked away from.

“And if we actually had an army at our backs, that might be a viable strategy. But we _don't,_ and it _isn't_. You forget, Takumi, that Nohr isn't our true enemy. They might pose a threat to Hoshido, but that threat pales in comparison to what really is at stake. The soldiers who would fall going up against knights on their own ground are soldiers that could help us against Anankos.”

“I know...” The young prince muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth in frustration. “It just...! I can't stand knowing that they're getting ready to attack us again, and that I'm right _here_ and can't do anything to stop them!”

 

“You can do something, Takumi.” Nerr told him quietly. He looked up at her, utterly confused. “You can think about how we're going to convince your brother to listen to us. Because if you can make him stop fighting, then I can make Xander stop fighting, and I know for certain that my brother will not allow his soldiers to slaughter indiscriminately, _regardless_ of King Garon's will.” Takumi shook his head, frowning deeply.

“You don't know that. You think you make these Nohrians listen to you, you think you matter to them, but you can't! You don't! You're not one of them; what makes you think they care about what you want!?” The princess watched in silence as he panted, waiting until his ragged breathing calmed enough that it wasn't a distraction.

“You want to know why I think the crown prince of Nohr will do the honorable thing at the request of a Hoshidan? Your answer is right there.” She gestured to Kaze. Folding the map back into a neat square, she adjusted her grip on her clothes and turned around. “It's time to go. We need to find a place to make camp for the night, and we'll need to get out of the city before we can do that. Now where the hell is Shura?”

 

“Right here, princess.” She looked up to see a head of white curls peering over the roof of the building above her. Swinging his legs over the side, he dropped down, appearing to land lightly, but groaning slightly as he straightened. “Ahhhh... Hells bells, I'm too old for this shit...” Rubbing his knees, he limped over to the others.

“Where have you been?”

“Listening to that inspirational speech of yours. Lead the way.” Frowning slightly, she did as he suggested, leading them towards the main boulevard heading north. With every step, she was certain she could feel an ever more biting chill. It wasn't the cold of winter- she knew _that_ too well- but the dread of walking into enemy territory. Anankos was still and abstract threat. Garon... she knew what he could do to them. To her.

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A/N- I love Shura. That is all. It's a damned shame he's introduced as a pirate in Conquest, and then the writers at IntSys just kind of forgot about that (to be honest, I do too), so I had to let him be a little pirate-y here. His crew (at least the ones alluded to) are characters my friend and I came up with for our Fates RP sessions, and every single one of them is deserving of a story of their own. In fact, I might actually do that one day.


	12. An Inverted Eden

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Ch.12- “An Inverted Eden”

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Nerr could see her breath as she walked. There was a light covering of snow on the ground, not deep enough to impede their travel, but enough to freeze her ankles. She'd wrapped her feet and shins in leather, and it kept away enough of the cold's bite, but every mile they traveled seemed to bring a deeper chill. Donning heavy, Nohrian cloaks, the Hoshidans didn't even _look_ that foreign... not really. Takumi and Tsubaki's hair would probably never look natural on this side of the continent, not to mention the bright mounts that stood out even brighter against the snow, but at least they didn't look like enemy soldiers. With the pegasus and kinshi carrying supplies as well, they almost did look like merchants, or at the very least, mercenaries, which would make their travels easier when they got further west. Even so, there were times when it was utterly nerve wracking. Tsubaki would often fly to scout ahead, and more than once, he alerted them to knights that must have been scouting the border. There were precious few areas wooded deeply enough to conceal them properly- the only thing working in their favor being that those areas were far away from the road. Yuugiri would fly after them when they had to hide, sweeping away their tracks as they huddled behind what little cover there was, praying that the Nohrian soldiers wouldn't be thorough in their surveilance. When they were waiting for the cavaliers to pass, every shift, every breath seemed impossibly loud.

 

Nerr's eyes would constantly dart down to the scabbard at her hip, fearing that the glow of her sword might somehow be visible through the leather. It wasn't, thankfully, and they elluded notice of the soldiers. Of course, they weren't the only ones the apparently newly recruited and poorly trained (according to Gunther) didn't check for. The roads were dangerous in the winter, brigands coming from their dens to terrorize merchants... or soldiers and royals who _looked_ like merchants. A part of Nerr's mind seethed how hypocritical she was, cutting down thieves whilst she traveled with and offered aid to a pirate, but Shura insisted that he and his crew never took from the smallfolk, which was exactly what highwaymen situated in a desolate region such as this made their living doing.

 

After all, there were no other merchants on this road this late in the year. Leaving these bodies buried in the snow on the side of the road was going everyone a service. Even with their need to hide or fight, they made good time, and in spite of the scant amount of daylight growing shorter by the day. Or perhaps because of it. After all, it was harder to be seen at night... and to see, at least for the Hoshidans. Takumi and Hana complained about being unable to make out where they were going, and Sakura was downright terrified of the long nights, darker than anything in Hoshido. Even Oboro's usually surly expression seemed tempered by fear in the inky black.

 

In stark contrast, the Nohrians barely noticed either dark or cold. As Jakob informed the young prince one night, this was not only the weather they were used to, but indeed a mild winter. There were no blizzards, no freezing rain or hail- as far as Nerr was concerned, it was downright lovely. Perhaps that was why, despite the looming threat of soldiers, brigands, and her own grim thoughts, the Nohrian princess found herself smiling as she took in the world around her. It wasn't what most would call “pretty”. In fact, compared to Hoshido's verdant bounty, it was downright dreary, but as far as she was concerned, everything was beautiful. The region of Dia was mostly an almost barren steppe, but as they neared the Nestrian region, they passed through what Jakob informed her was Anomovic, one of the few fertile lands in Nohr. It showed, with woodlands packed with evergreens and thick brush that stood out against the snow. Small animals darted between snowdrifts, and while they'd killed more than a few to serve as dinner, it still struck her as a wonderful scene, like something pulled straight from her storybooks.

 

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” She asked Azura idly one day. The stars were growing brighter as dusk quickly set. The singer shuddered, drawing her head further between her shoulders. She had (not unwisely) wrapped her hair around her neck and shoulders as a makeshift mantle, a technique adopted by the other Hoshidans' whose hair was long enough.

“If you're blind and completely numb, perhaps. I'd almost forgotten just how horrible Nohr is...”

“It's magical!” Nerr protested, sweeping her hands across the vista. “Everything is sparkly, and it smells so good, and it's not even that cold! I would kill a man to have winter be so beautiful back home.”

“You mean it gets _worse_ than this!?” Takumi exclaimed, aghast. She'd have been upset had she not realized it was not disgust he expressed, but horror. The memory of Hoshido's sunlight struck her; the sunlight and warmth it brought that was all these people knew.

 

“Of course it gets worse. It's the middle of winter. Up north, everything is buried in snow by now. Everything is frozen. Everything is dead. The roads will be blocked; it's nearly impossible to go outside, not that you _would,_ because you'd freeze. So you just stay in your home, trying to stay warm, and failing...” Without realizing it, she had stopped speaking to the prince, muttering to herself more than anything. “You ration your food, but no matter how little you eat, it's all gone far too quickly... so you eat anything you can, and you still feel hungry...” A heavy silence had fallen over the group, barely even broken by the crunching snow underfoot. Nausea welled up inside her, not just because of the memory foraging in the cabinets for dead bugs to eat, but because she could _feel_ how unsettled the others were. The fear and dread that she had been feeling had spread to them, like a sickness.

 

“That's horrible... y-you weren't really hungry like that, were you n-nee-sama?” Sakura whimpered piteously. Nervous laughter bubbled up her throat.

“Ha ha... it wasn't as bad as you're thinking, Sakura. It was good preparation for my endurance training. And I learned how to skin animals- I even made a hat once!” She wouldn't tell her it was made from rats- the youngest princess already looked pale.

“...why would you want to come back here?” Takumi asked, his voice and eyes hard. Nerr frowned deeply at him.

“It's my home.”

“But it's not! Hoshido is your home! You aren't like _them;”_ He gestured to her retainers. “You don't _have_ to live here! You have somewhere better, so why would you want to come back to this hellhole?! Azura knew a good thing when she saw one; she gave up on this cesspool the first chance she got, and _she_ never talked about starving to death!” The singer quickly looked away, as though she was ashamed of his words, though it was anyone's guess why she would be.

 

“But I _didn't_ starve to death, Takumi. I _had_ food. Maybe not a lot, but I did. Not like the smallfolk, who couldn't afford to buy bread. Or the farmers, whose crops were destroyed by storms. Or the merchants who were killed for their coin by hungry bandits. Hoshido is where I was born. _This_ is my home, and _these_ are my people; the people whose suffering I've been hearing about for years. I want to help them. I want to--” She trailed off, her dreary thoughts overtaken by shock and joy. “There are flowers in the snow!!”

“What the hell?! I thought you were being serious!” Hana exclaimed angrily.

“I was!” Nerr shouted back even as she dashed over to the field bordering the trail they were following. Perhaps her words were some grim realization for the Hoshidans, but they were a simple truth to her, like knowing the stars hung in the sky. Flowers growing in Nohr was still a wondrous, preternatural discovery. She had barely seen the pale pink blooms from the trail, but close up, they stood vividly against the snow. “Look how many there are!!”

“They're just flowers...” Hoshido's prince muttered, though his voice lacked any real vitriol. “Besides, you're wasting time. We could probably get in another half mile if you stopped lollygagging about.” Nerr winced internally. He was right, but gods if she didn't want to admit it. She glanced sadly back at the flowers. Maybe she could come back one day after the war... if she wasn't dead.

 

“We _could_ continue our march, but the night _does_ grow apace.” Gunther mused, looking up to the sky. “Considering how cold it's gotten, it may be prudent for us to make camp for the night rather than press our luck and succumb to the elements.”

“Thank the gods; my feet are about to freeze off!” Hinata yammered, but any discomfort quickly seemed to vanish from his face as he grinned at his liege. “C'mon, Takumi-sama! Let's find somewhere dry; I know you're dead on your feet, too!” He all but dragged the white-haired boy off towards the direction of a thick cluster of trees, much to Oboro's vexation, which she made clear as she followed them.

“Come along, Sakura-sama. You can rest while I set up your bedroll.” Tsubaki said primly, nearly being bowled over by Hana.

“You take too long! Don't worry, Sakura-sama- _I'll_ get everything ready for you!” Nerr offered little more than a distracted glance as the Hoshidans set about looking for a proper camp, kneeling in the snow, barely looking up even as Jakob approached her.

 

“You should make haste, milady. We both know you're sensitive to the cold, and considering you still refuse to put on proper shoes, I'd rest easier knowing you were out of the snow.”

“Ehhhh... I'll catch up.”

“Bu-but--!” He sputtered helplessly. Nerr reached up, cupping his cheeks. Despite having picked up a new pair of gloves, they were thin and she could still feel him through the material. Normally, his cheeks would be warmer than her hands, but she could feel a definite chill to them this time. “Why don't you go and start dinner, Jakob? Gods know these Hoshidans can't cook, and everything you make is delicious...” Despite the cold, the steward flushed, undoubtedly from pride if his grin was anything to go by.

“Well... I can't argue with the truth. Very well, I will have a feast ready and waiting for you in short order, Lady Nerr. ...but please don't stay out here too long.”

 

“I won't.” She muttered, already distracted by brushing snow off the fleshy petals. She would never admit it, lest of all to Jakob, but she didn't find his cooking very good anymore. It certainly wasn't his fault, she knew that for a fact; everything he touched smelled divine, but just as with the food in Hoshido, everything tasted bland and settled in her stomach like rocks. Still, if he was cooking, he would be getting warm by a fire. She scowled as another pair of boots trod closer, trampling all over the flowers in their path.

“You're quite the orator, aren't you, Princess?”

“And _you're_ quite the inconsiderate brute. You're breaking all the flowers!” Shura's lip twisted in disdainful confusion as he regarded her, trying to figure out if she was being earnest or not. She absolutely was, glaring at the older man until he backed away into a relatively empty patch. He scoffed and shook his head.

“I don't know how you can spout all that bull about caring about Nohr in one breath, then start losing your shit over some weeds in the next.”

 

“I don't see how they're mutually exclusive. Very little grows in the north, including flowers. I would be just as enthralled to see fields of wheat that would mean full bellies for my people.” The thief stared at her, apparently at a loss for words. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, thoughtful.

“...you're sincere about all this, aren't you? I won't lie, I thought for sure this was all some act you put on to try and make people think you care--” Nerr cut him off by standing up. The top of her head barely reached his chin, but she in no way felt smaller than him.

“I can assure you, Captain Shura, that if I didn't care, everyone would know it. The good of my people, the good of Nohr, is of the utmost importance to me. Surely you don't think it's strange that I actually _love_ the country I'm fighting for?”

 

“Well, you've got me convinced. Guess I'm still not used to the concept of royalty actually _caring_ about anything but their coffers.” He muttered, heading off in the direction of the others, leaving the Nohrian princess by herself. At least, she assumed she was alone as she lowered herself, burying her nose in the blossoms. They smelled sweet, and cold.

“I'm sorry, Nerr.” She jolted, looking around. Azura, with her white clothes and pale complexion, looked as much a part of the wintery world as the snow itself.

 

“For what, nearly giving me a heart attack?”

“For taking your place in Hoshido.” It was wholly uncalled for, but the teal-haired girl found herself laughing aloud regardless.

“ _What?!”_

“I mean it!” Azura stepped closer, though she avoided the field. “What Takumi said was true. As soon as I realized King Garon wasn't going to bring me back, I completely cast Nohr from my heart. Mikoto-sama offered me a place in the royal family, and I took it... I took your place, and I never even thought about who was suffering in mine.”

“ 'Suffering'? I think you've mistaken me for someone else.”

 

“You don't have to lie to me; I'm not impressed with you putting on an act.” Nerr gaped at the singer, trying to find words and coming up blank. Golden eyes cast downwards. “I always wondered why you hated Hoshido so much. I thought to myself, 'how can anyone hate such a beautiful, peaceful land? Especially someone who has known the cruelty of Nohr...'. But I think I understand now. You felt the way I felt.”

“I'm... not sure I follow.” The way she said it, it sounded like Azura had been enamored with Hoshido from the start.

“When you were first brought to Hoshido, I despised you. All I could think was how lucky you were to have such a kind, loving family, and how selfish and cruel you were to not even appreciate it.” The songstress looked out over the trees, her brows drawn together. “...that's how Nohrians feel about Hoshidans, isn't it? They see a land of bounty, where no one wants for anything... a paradise where everyone is uninterested in the rest of the world so long as _they_ have peace. There is no worse feeling for someone who has nothing than to watch someone who has everything not even realize how blessed they are...” Lifting herself from the snow, Nerr slowly approached the other woman.

 

“I think you're thinking too much about this, Azura.” Gold met crimson as she tried to protest.

“I thought--”

“I'm not saying you're wrong about our countries. I would be surprised if spite and loathing _didn't_ fuel this war as much as desperation and tradition. But you're wrong about _us_. You didn't steal my place, Azura. And I didn't take yours. The Hoshidan royals loved you for _you_ , and if you were happy there, then I'm glad. Because I was very happy in Nohr.”

“That doesn't even seem possible...” The blunette murmured.

“It is, though. Nearly all of my memories in Nohr are happy, and those that aren't...” Like Garon. Like the darkness that lurked at the edges of her conscious thoughts. Like the _fete..._ “Well, I just ignore those and focus on the things I like and the people I love.”

 

“I'm sure _that's_ a driving force behind your actions...” A slight grin tugged at Azura's lips, one that looked all-to familiar, and Nerr felt her mood sour immediately.

“And that marks the end of this conversation.”

“But-- I wasn't done talking...”

“And yet, I'm done listening.” The Nohrian princess backed away with a shrug. “Funny how that works.” Azura groaned, following her.

“To think, I was almost starting to like you.”

“Flattered as I am, I'm not interested in women.”

“As if any woman would be interested in _you_.” She scoffed lightly, pushing the other girl aside as she passed.

 

The ground under the trees was relatively dry, littered with broken green needles that filled the air with a sweet scent, smoke wafting over their camp and mingling with it. Two small fires were set between the beginnings of beds. Sakura was kneeling besides Jakob, pouring dried peas into a pot as he gauged how much they'd need while Kaze set an armful of dried wood across from them.

 

“It never occurred to me that this was a part of war.” Azura said quietly.

“What? Making camp?” She nodded.

“I always thought it was just fighting and bloodshed... For some reason, it never crossed my mind what happened when the fighting stopped. When I traveled with Mikoto and the others to different duchies, we would set up camps like this in between. ...we had better food, though.”

“What?” Nerr teased. “You mean salt pork for every meal _isn't_ your idea of quality cuisine?” The singer's lips thinned.

“If I never taste pork again, it'll be too soon.”

 

“Don't ever take up sailing then, princess.” Shura called out to them from where he reclined by the second fire, far enough from the others to almost be completely separate from their group. “Or marauding. Or anything where you'll be gone from cities for a while. ...guess bein' a ninja's out of the question for you, too.”

“What would you know about being a ninja?” Kaze asked, his eyes narrowed. The older man took a draft from his water skin.

“More than you, string bean. You Saizous think you're all hot shit just because you've been kissing the Emperor's ass for decades...” The green-haired man stood up abruptly, quickly approaching Shura.

 

“How do you know my clan?”

“I know lots of things. It's part of my profession.”

“That's so cool!” Hinata exclaimed, grinning widely. “Hey! What family am I from?”

“If you don't know who your father is, boy, I can't help you with that.” Oboro and Hana both sniggered as the samurai's face fell. Azura's face held no amusement as she regarded the prone man.

 

“It is very strange that you would know anything about Hoshidan shinobi. Even if you've visited ports in the east, that's not something I'd expect a Nohrian to take interest in.”

“He's no Nohrian.” Several pairs of eyes turned to Gunther, who didn't even bother looking up as he continued untying bedrolls. “He's Kougan. Ain't ya, Shura-san?”

“What?!” Several voices cried out at once, Nerr amongst them to her own surprise. That word sounded familiar, and it took her a while before her wracked brain could remember where she'd heard it.

 

“Wait... didn't you say Kouga was part of Mokushuu--?”

“Kouga was _NEVER_ part of Mokushuu!!” Despite his calm, unaffected tone from earlier, Shura was beside himself with fury, his eyes wild as he panted through clenched teeth. He scrambled to his feet, stomping over to where Gunther stood. “What the does an anyan devil know about Kouga?”

“I would like to know that myself.” Nerr interjected. Even traveling between different duchies, she couldn't tell people from the Wind Tribe apart from Izumites from Mokushuujin- everyone east of the border looked the same to her.

 

“I know enough to recognize a garbage ninja when I see one.” The knight said flippantly, though his tone and gaze grew colder as he met Shura's eyes. “You're all the same, with those beady eyes... lurking in the shadows like rats until you can swarm over everything... No wonder you'd find a place on a ship.” A tic went off in Shura's cheek, the only warning before he lashed out, his fist colliding with Gunther's face, a loud snap filling the clearing.

“I'll show you a rat, you filthy dog! You were probably one of the ones helping Kotaro in the first place!!” He pulled a dagger from his belt, resulting in shocked and fearful cries from the others. Nerr slipped on the dead leaves as she ran, her arm burning, knives cutting through her as her vision went gray. She could taste the fury, the loathing radiating from the pirate as she grabbed at him, a toothy maw wrapping around his middle, flooding her mouth with all manner of vile tastes even though she stood a good four feet away from him.

“ _That's enough. Out of BOTH of you.”_ Shura looked over his shoulder at her, his face almost as white as his hair as he followed the tangled appendage to where it finally connected to her shoulder.

 

“...what the fuck _are_ you...?”

“ _The one putting you in time out.”_ She lifted him with surprising ease, dropping him none too gently in the middle of the clearing. Azura crouched beside him, her thin face severe.

“You really _are_ from Kouga?”

“Why would I lie about that? Huh? You think that's some glorious badge of honor these days?”

“I didn't think there _were_ any more Kougans.” Takumi said, his tone harsh in it's doubt. Shura opened his mouth, closed it, and looked at the prince. He stared at him for a long, long time.

 

“...what's your name, boy?”

“I'm Takumi, the second prince of Hoshido. You know who Kaze is but not me?” His tone was at once both arrogant and incredulous.

“...yeah, I thought so... You have his attitude. Sumeragi's... It doesn't bother you that an entire nation of your people were slaughtered like animals... What bothers you is that you think I'm lying.” Takumi recoiled as if he had been physically struck.

“That's not--! I don't--!”

“Save your indignation, boy. You were right. Everyone who hailed from Kouga is long dead... except for me.”

 

“Wh-what happened...?” Sakura asked, half hiding behind her hands. Perhaps she was afraid the restless ghosts of his people clung to him and would take their vengeance out on her.

“Kotaro happened. While he was allied with Nohr during the last war, he and his dogs razed my homeland to the ground.” A heavy silence settled over the camp, broken only by crackling fire and boiling water. The light, comfortable mood from earlier had been decimated, and remained that way as it grew later. When they once again began talking, it was only in hushed whispers, and in pairs. Nerr had been sitting with Jakob while she ate, refusing to so much as look at Gunther, though she still insisted the steward see to his clearly broken nose. Her attention kept returning to Shura, who, as before, had found himself a spot apart from the other. Swallowing what may as well have been a leaden lump, the princess set down her bowl and got to her feet, walking over and kneeling beside the pirate... or was he a ninja? He pointedly ignored her, but she paid his agitation no mind.

 

“I am so sorry about your people, Shura.” He scoffed quietly.

“Yeah, well.. that makes you the first Hoshidan royal who was.” He turned to face her, but his eyes seemed to stare through her. “My father, the daimyo, spent months appealing to _your_ father for aid as Mokushuu's forces began sending assassins after us. And every time, he was told the same thing; all of Hoshido's soldiers had to deal with Nohr. The safety of Hoshido's people was the only thing that mattered... as long as the threat was Nohr. Hoshidans killing other Hoshidans? Who cares about that?”

“ _I_ do.” The words left her mouth before she even realized what she had said, but once she heard them, Nerr felt her resolve strengthen. “I won't stand by while Garon attacks his own people, and I won't stand by while Kotaro does the same.” She could see Shura's jaw clenching at his name. Remembering what she had seen of what the daimyo was capable of, it was a surprise he wasn't more vocal about his hatred.

 

“You said you faced off against him. What were you even doing in Mokushuu? That miserable old cunt thinks he knows everything; why didn't he warn you away?”

“He kind of did...” Nerr trailed off, remembering her retainer's constant attempts to convince her to simply leave the Hoshidans to their own devices at Kotaro's hands. Bitterness welled up inside her as she glared over her shoulder, only to be met with a pair of long, thin legs. “Why are you just lurking there?” She asked churlishly as her gaze panned up to Azura's face. “Either sit down or move.” Biting her lip, the singer hesitated for a moment, before sitting beside Nerr. Shura leaned back, appraising the blunette with heavily lidded eyes.

“You make it a habit of eavesdropping, Princess Azura? Because if so, you may want to consider an attire that doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Nohrian clothes would suit you better.”

 

“We've both cast off the remnants of our culture, it seems.” She said plainly, her voice surprisingly cold. “There's something odd about you. Why would a Hoshidan ninja become a Nohrian pirate?”

“The same reason anyone becomes a pirate- gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat.”

“But why in Nohr? Why not stay in Hoshido?” The older man's eyes turned icy.

“Why not stay in the kingdom that refused to aid my people, that allows their murderers free reign? Is _that_ what you're asking me? You've run afoul of Kotaro; give me one good reason why anyone who didn't have an army at their back would stay in the same country as that fetus-fucking shit goblin?” He crossed his arms over his chest, derision etched into the fine lines around his lips. “That's right. And you probably haven't even seen him at his worse. When the war picks up, he's going to go back to his old ways--”

 

“He hasn't _stopped_ his old ways.” Nerr cut him off with a whisper. At once, the scorn he expressed fell away, leaving only shock.

“What? What are you talking about?” Azura answered for him.

“There was a village, I suppose it was close to where your land must have once been. Kotaro sent his men there because they were housing Hoshidan soldiers. There were only two survivors.” With every word he spoke, Shura's eyes grew wider with horror. His hands trembled, his lips quivered as he mouthed wordlessly; perhaps reciting the singer's words back to himself... perhaps reciting something else to someone only he could see. It was clear that whatever he was looking at, it was nothing that was visible to them.

“It's still not enough...” He breathed. “Kouga... Kouga had land, power... we could've been a threat... what could _peasants_ do to him?” The three of them fell silent once again. Nerr picked at the pine needles, their sap leaving her gloves tacky. It was a long time until she spoke again, thinking of her words carefully.

 

“People like that, I think, are best not given too much thought. Everyone does things for a reason, but really; will that reason justify their actions? Is there anything someone like Kotaro could say that would properly explain why he's done what he's done?”

“No. Nothing can _ever_ excuse the precious lives he's snuffed out.” The Kougan man seethed. The Norhian princess reached out, patting his hand gently.

“Then don't think on 'why'. Don't put yourself in the mind of that monster.” He shook his head slightly.

“That's easy for you to say; you don't see yourself as Hoshidan. As much as I tried to cast it off myself, it still haunts me that that people who were once our neighbors, our comrades, could turn on us like that.”

“I do know how it feels to have your own countryman turn against you, Shura. There's one particular swineshagger who has played no small part in my life going to hell. _Hans..._ ” She hissed, his very name burning her tongue. She could feel her skin itching, burning just above her bones. The pirate frowned, looking at her as though he had just now noticed her there.

 

“Did you say 'Hans'? ...That name sounds familiar. Fuck, was that his name...?”

“Who's name?”

“When we were in Port Dia, I went to see an acquaintance of mine, and he told me about some rebellion that went down in Chevalier--”

“What do you mean 'in Chevalier'?” Azura asked sharply. “Ryouma went there to meet some rebels...”

“Well, he isn't going to be meeting any of them now. Garon caught wind of those little bourgeois 'rebels' and had every person who dared conspire against the crown executed.” The others, who must have been listening all this time, cried out in appellation.

 

“He did _what?!_ ”

“When did this happen!?”

“Ryouma nii-sama!” Sakura scrambled to her feet, rushing over to their corner of the camp, her eyes wide as she trembled. “Is-- is Ryouma nii-sama okay!? Wh-what happened to-to him?!”

“I don't know. I didn't hear about any Hoshidans among the dead. What I _did_ hear, though, was a whole lot of civilians who weren't actually in league with the rebels ended up caught in the crossfire. Apparently, the general that led the charge has the reputation of being a little... bloodthirsty.”

“And this 'general's name?” Nerr asked, disgust churning in her stomach, bringing bile up her throat. She was certain she already knew.

“I thought it was Franz, but now I'm pretty sure it was Hans.” Of course it was. Fear, uncertainty and dread seeped into the atmosphere of the camp as they looked at each other, hoping for answer no one had. Sakura rocked back and forth, her tiny body wracked with tremors as she fought and lost against the tears welling in her eyes. Takumi broke the silence, his voice barely louder than the snapping and popping of the fire.

 

“So what do we do now? We were going to Chevalier because Ryouma was supposed to be there, but even if he survived, he won't be there now...” The young prince curled into himself, looking even smaller and younger. “What are we supposed to do...?” In unison, several pairs of eyes turned to Nerr. She could feel them boring into her, augers drilling into her soul. She shrank back from the Hoshidans' gaze. She didn't know what to do.

“I-- I don't...” She didn't know. Going to Chevalier now would be a waste of time. If Ryouma was alive (he had to be alive; what were the Hoshidans going to do if they found out their new emperor was dead too?), they had no idea where to look for him... She tried to think, but all she could see in her mind was a blinding white nothing that terrified her almost as much as the void of the Chasm.

“Well, I don't know anything about royals or rebellions,” Shura's gruff voice cut through her blank mind. “But I _do_ know about information. And if you want any, the best places in Nohr for that are Windmire, Macarath and Cyrkensia. Big cities, lots of people; someone is bound to know something.” Nerr nodded, trying to swallow and feeling her saliva get caught in her throat.

 

“Then... that's where we'll go. It's only a small detour from our original destination.”

“W-w-what if we don't f-find Ryouma nii-sama? What if he's-- what if he-s-- he's--” Sakura could barely speak as her breathing grew more ragged. Azura drew her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair as she shushed her.

“Don't worry, Sakura-chan. Ryouma will be fine. You know how strong he is. We'll all be fine.” Her lies, obviously as they were, served as a balm, alleviating some of the fear that threatened to consume all of them. But the tension never left, as they all finished their meals in silence.

 

Nerr couldn't tell how long she had laid awake. The wind howling through the trees, the deep, even breaths of those who actually managed to fall asleep around her, all bled together filling the space between her ears and making it impossible to calculate anything as complex as time. It didn't stop her from thinking, unfortunately. Her mind had been working hard for what felt like hours, digging up scenes from Shirasagi and the village near Mokushuu, juxtaposing bits and pieces from them- limbs torn clean from their sockets, the charred remains of homes, dust and soot choked air- and painting the whole thing bright, bright red. Staring at the canopy above her left her eyes burning, but whenever she tried to close them, all she could see was Hans' hideous smile and empty cavernous eyes as he leered at her on the bridge. Sitting, the princess thrashed about, trying to free her arms from her swaddling. It took some doing, but she finally managed to stand, immediately picking her way around the other bodies lying in groups of two or three. The air grew colder as the trees thinned.

 

Walking out into the field left her blinking hard, the darkness she had grown accustomed to harshly shattered. With the moon nearly full overhead, the snow shone bright enough to illuminate the entire clearing. It was almost like Hoshido had been. Stretching, Nerr tried to alleviate the pain radiating through her neck and shoulders, but every movement only sent pain surging up to her temples. Sighing, she sat down, paying no attention the snow quickly melting into her tights. She was so tired, her whole body aching, but her mind refused to quiet down. It was stupid to think Hans would have faced even the most abstract justice, but she'd had a spark of hope that Xander would, at the very least, rein in his murderous tendencies. It was very easy- too easy, painfully easy- to come to the conclusion that her brother didn't care much for the lives of the smallfolk.

 

She had just written it off as him not wanting to be lead into a trap when he brushed off her claims of what happened in Shirasagi. Or that the lives of Hoshidans just didn't matter to him. But she had told Elise and Leo what happened at the border- even if he hadn't heard her, she was sure they would have told him. Why would she lie about _that?_ He himself had warned her not to trust the abomination. Groaning, she drew her knees to her chest, curling into herself until all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. Everything was turning to chaos, and all she wanted was to be at home, tucked in her bed, perhaps with Jakob sitting beside her and reading, his voice calming her harried mind, _Once upon a time in a far away kingdom, a cruel princess reigned..._ For a while, she wondered if she might not be able to fall asleep like that, but her thoughts were interrupted by feet shuffling through pine needles and snow.

 

“As beautiful as the stars are, it's a bit cold to be sleeping under them, my lady.” Her heart skipped a beat, a painful feeling only made worse by the annoyance it brought on. Churlishly, Nerr scooted around without adjusting her posture, so that her back was to the knight.

“If you think I'm sleeping, you may need glasses, Gunther. And if you think I am in any mood to deal with you after that shameful display, then you must be senile.” She could hear snow crunching softly, and while she adamantly refused to turn around, she imagined he was shifting his weight from one foot to another.

“It may have slipped my liege's mind, but I distinctly remember the Kougan assaulting _me_ , rather than the other way around.” She glared over her shoulder, fuming.

 

“You goaded him on! You deserved that broken nose and worse. You'll get no sympathy from me when you go around antagonizing a man who has lost everything for no gods damned reason.” Gunther's jaw tightened, but he did not raise his voice to meet hers, speaking even softer, a hiss filled with vitriol.

“I have many a good reason for despising the Kougans, Lady Nerr. You know not what they did in the war--”

“I. Don't. _Care_.” She hissed back through gritted teeth, her temples throbbing. “I don't _care_ what they did during the last war. Shura is half your age; he wasn't fighting you then. Whatever grievances you have with Kougans in general are _not_ to be laid at his feet! You are a grown-ass man who is acting like a petulant _child_ , and I don't appreciate you starting shit with my soldiers.” Breathing hard, she turned away from him again, resting her pounding head atop her knees. Everything was spinning. “Just go. Leave me be.” He sighed, approaching her rather than going back, just as she expected him to.

 

“We both know I can't do that. Regardless of your disgust with me, I am your retainer; it's my duty to retain you- specifically from your own bad habits. Like sitting in the snow.” She ignored his pointed words.

“I'll be fine.”

“Will you really, Lady Nerr? Because- forgive my impudence- you haven't looked 'fine' in a very long while.” She remained silent, hoping he would grow tired of her own petulance and leave; she'd waited him out before. With another, louder sigh, the older man groaned, snow displacing around her. She had just thought to actually look up when she felt something warm and solid press against her back. She glanced over her shoulder, quickly looking back ahead. They were both wearing thickly padded arming coats, but in her frantic imagination, she'd swear she could feel his shoulder blades pressing against hers. “I know this isn't what you want to hear, my lady, but perhaps the best thing for you to do would be to just... stop.”

 

“Stop what?”

“Stop _this_. This... wild goose chase to unify a continent and bring down a dragon; you're a princess in a tower and a magic curse short of acting out a fairytale. In fact, no; this is _exactly_ the contrived tripe in those gods-awful folktales that ends with a princess turning into foam!” She hazarded a glance back just as Gunther looked over his own shoulder at her. Despite the frustration in his voice, he didn't look angry. In the cold, hard light reflected by the snow, he looked so old, so weary, every line carved deeply into his face... she quickly turned away once more, her heart twisting painfully. “And for what? What do you gain from this?”

“I--” His question left her stomach sinking down to her feet. “We... we save our world. We save Nohr, we stop it from ending up like V-- like _that_ place.”

 

“Do you? Do you _really_ , or do you just end up getting killed in the next battle for _nothing?_ ”

“That's exactly what could happen if I _wasn't_ going to fight a dragon! That's _every_ battle! You weren't trying to scare me off being a soldier when I was going to be facing the Hoshidan army!” He stiffened, his voice grim.

“Because I couldn't. Don't think for a moment that I ever _wanted_ you to be a soldier, Lady Nerr, but if I refused to train you and told you the truth, that you were nothing but canon fodder, Garon would have just gotten rid of me and brought someone else in to do what I wouldn't. And the Hoshidans are not the same as an ancient dragon. A war against humans can _end_. Those humans can _die_.”

“Gods die...” She whispered, her voice small. She had _seen_ one of the Ancient Ones die right before her eyes, but Gunther's cold words made it obvious that didn't matter.

“No. They _don't_. Their bodies die; what they are, what they do, lives on long after _we_ turn to dust. If gods could truly die so easily, would we still be fighting their war thousands of years later?” He reached back, finding her hand and squeezing it tightly. “You've no idea the horrors that lay in store, my lady. It's already starting; Garon _always_ does this. He _always_ uses rebellions as an excuse to cull potential threats when the fighting begins. And right now, _you_ are a threat. There is no way Garon believes you are truly dead, and while you oppose him, he won't be satisfied until he sees it himself. If you were allied with a kingdom- _either_ kingdom- there would be _some_ measure of safety. But as you are, wandering Nohr alone with... _Hoshidans_ dragging you down? You're asking for a fool's death before you even see a true battle, Nerr!”

 

He never called her by name without a title unless he was very angry... or afraid. Neither option made her feel any better. The thought of going home, of wearing proper armor and having a proper bed and knowing that when she went into battle, she would have a battalion of soldiers behind her was a siren's call, but the very first time she'd tried to go home, they'd had a taste of what lay in store for them back in Nohr. Nerr dug her nails into her arms, the sting dulled by the many layers between them and her skin. She wished it wasn't.

 

“There is no safety in either kingdom, Gunther. None whatsoever. Hoshido is full of people who want me dead- even before Nohr came to the border, they blamed me for my mother's death and Takumi had them rallying up to kill me. And Nohr... Nohr has _Hans_. He's a microchasm of why I can't be allied with Nohr. I can never- I _will_ never- rest in this land while that whoreson continues breathing. What he did to those Hoshidans, to you... what he tried to do to me... what he's still doing to innocent people... I know it's all on Garon's orders, but I don't care! I _despise_ that creature!! I hate what he is, and I won't be satisfied until I tear him limb from limb!” Breathing hard, the young woman clutched her head, trying to ride the agony carving itself into her skull. Her teeth itched as the pressure behind her eyes grew. She needed to get her dragonstone, but she was in too much pain to move. She couldn't feel the warmth against her back, only the burning as her shoulder blades fractured and shifted. Hands, chilled from the snow, lightly cupped her face.

 

“Lie back.” She resisted the gentle pressure pulling her back.

“No. I'm fine.”

“Lie back, Lady Nerr.” Even now, when she had faced battle and monsters and death itself, that tone made her bowels clench. Reluctantly, she leaned back until her head and shoulders lay across Gunther's lap. He began rubbing her temples softly, his cold fingers easing the striking pain in her skull. Unfortunately, the entire situation left her desperately trying not to vomit as her heart raced, only adding to her migraine.

“I wish I was dead...” She muttered, earning a dry chuckle from the knight.

“Don't we all when we're young? It seems like everything terrible is happening only to you and it can never get worse... but it always gets worse... Oh, my poor little ladyship...” He murmured, a forlorn weariness in his voice. “It wasn't even so long ago when just this was enough to make you better. When you were afraid, and I could just tell you everything would be fine and it was true, because the things you were afraid of couldn't actually hurt you...”

 

“That's not true.” She surprised them both with her low voice. “Remember when I first started using a metal training sword, how scared I was when Xander came to spar with me? I was so afraid, it made me physically sick.”

“I don't even know how such a small girl could vomit _that_ much.” Despite her nerves and the ache in her jaw, Nerr laughed slightly.

“I'm pretty sure it was a good ten years worth of food. And all over Xander's new boots... he was so upset, I thought he was going to slap me...” Her good humor immediately withered, leaving a cold emptiness in her heart. Gunther stopped stroking, but kept his hand across her forehead.

 

“He wouldn't have, my lady. Prince Xander was just upset that you were so ill; he'd have never done anything to hurt you.”

“No? Then why is he _now_ _?_ Why is he hurting me by decrying me as a traitor and trying to turn my family against me?!” The pain was coming back, but she couldn't keep her anger in check. “He knew he wasn't my brother, but for fifteen years, he convinced me that he loved and trusted me, only to throw it back in my face the moment it no longer served him!” The older man sighed, his fingers idly combing through her bangs (loathe as she was to admit it, even that simple mindless gesture made her chest feel as though it would burst).

 

“...time changes us all, my lady. While he may have simply been your brother _then_ , nowadays Prince Xander is very much his father's son, I'm afraid. He may be a brave and noble man, but I've seen bravery and nobility from Garon just the same. And mixed amongst those stalwart traits are a callousness, a cruelty, and a paranoia that would lead to that man burning his kingdom to the ground as long as those ashes remained his alone.” Once again, his tone turned to seething, a white-hot loathing all but radiating from his pores, so strong Nerr could taste it, like bile on her tongue. She was almost afraid to engage him when he was like this, but her curiosity burned hotter than her fear.

“Is that why you hate him? King Garon?” Sharp violet eyes looked down at her, his gaze even harsher with thick, dark lines raking his face and catching on the moonlight.

 

“Lady Nerr, if I could write a thousand words on every grain of sand in this world, that could not equal a scintilla of why I hate that man. There is no word in any language, living or dead, human or otherwise, that can fully encapsulate my loathing. There was a time, not so long ago, when Garon offered me dragon's blood- the power of the gods!- and a place at his hand as his retainer... and I rejected it because I would rather be nothing than owe him _anything_. ...I know the love you have for Prince Xander, so know that I do not say this lightly; he is growing into exactly the same kind of man as his father. He'll forget his love for you- for any of his people- in an instant and crush you to dust if you give him reason to believe you're a threat to his legacy.” Nerr shrank away from him, half falling in the snow. His eyes, his voice, his _words_ ; all of it terrified her more than any battle, any monster, or god ever could.

 

“...n-no... no, you're wrong... Xander-- my brother's not like that. He's not a monster like Garon, or Hans, or even Iago. He's just...” Just what? Stupid? Weak? Afraid? All of those things sounded like the exact inverse of Nohr's paragon of chivalry, but at the same time, all of those things described her so perfectly when she had blindly followed the king's orders, so why not her brother? Gunther sighed deeply, his anger slowly fizzling out.

“I pray that you're right, my lady. I could not bear to see them make you hurt. That's what they're best at, royalty. Destroying everything, and leaving everyone they see as beneath them to suffer...”

“Sounds more like Hans than my siblings...” She muttered, feeling hatred stir in her belly.

“Hans is a pathetic nobody who wants to be a somebody. He isn't worth your thoughts, my lady.”

 

“I know that. He isn't worth _anything_. Not even the air he breathes... When he knocked you into the Chasm and I thought you were dead, I swore I'd kill him. ...now you're alive, but I still haven't forgiven him. The thought of trying to not hate him only makes me hate him more...” Nerr let out a sad chuckle, her throat burning as she stared up at the stars. “Aren't I pathetic? What a horrible excuse for a princess, who wastes her energy loathing a single man when she should be thinking of how she's going to help her people. I sound just like the royalty you're describing... You must think me a vile creature.” She pushed herself back into a sitting position, nearly tipping over as the world spun far too fast. How many times had Xander drilled that old saying into her head, tried to teach her to conceal her feelings rather than let them control her? There was a quiet, barely there snap, followed by shuffling as Gunther got to his knees, moving in front of her.

 

“I think... you are a kind, gentle woman who feels very deeply, Lady Nerr. Both compassion for those who have been wronged, as well as anger for those that have wronged them.” He reached out to her, and she only just had time to notice the half-closed flower he held before he tucked it behind her ear, alongside her pin. A deep shudder passed through her body as he brushed the elongated cartilage- it was like being dunked in a tub of ice water, the cold surging through her and chilling her more thoroughly than the snow beneath her.

 

He smiled as he surveyed his handiwork, and her stomach lurched, as though it were trying to switch places with her heart. Even something as simple as a look of happiness was twisted by the jagged, new flesh that pulled too taut to allow him to emote freely. Without thinking, Nerr reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over one of the larger gashes, her touch hovering over his skin as though she could still hurt him despite the lacerations and abrasions long since healing. She could barely even make out the original thin line that once split his face. She let her hand fall to her lap, trying to tamp down her nausea.

 

“Stop trying to flatter me. I'm still mad at you. I expect you to apologize to Shura in the morning.” Gunther's expression soured the moment she mentioned the pirate's name.

“I absolutely will _not_ apologize to that cretin.”

“You absolutely _will_ , or gods help me...” She left her threat up in the air, not because she couldn't _think_ of one- her old standby of “I'll set you on fire” usually got Flora to shut up- but because she couldn't bring herself to speak such cold, cruel words to her knight. She never ordered him to do anything. She never _had_ to, because _he_ was usually the did what was supposed to be done before she even thought it.

 

“Shura is one of the greatest boons I have come across. He's provided us travel, and continues to provide us with information. And even if he _wasn't_ so useful, I still don't want you rubbing salt into that poor man's wounds.” The older man shook his head derisively, silently mouthing 'poor man' before he spoke.

“I envy that soft heart of yours, my lady, but I would not wish it on my enemies. No doubt his sob story is going to spur you into hasty action--”

“You both insult _and_ think too highly of me, Gunther. There's no compassion or righteous justice spurring my vengeance. Just hate. Cold, petty spiteful hatred...” His face remained stoic, but something dark flickered in his eyes.

 

“You aren't petty, my lady. Some people _deserve_ to be hated, their actions unforgivable, unjustifiable. Let that hatred temper you, and while it does, actually _think_ about what you plan to do. Leave nothing unaccounted for, because vengeance will do you no good if you die before exacting it.” Crimson eyes widened, following him as he stood. She had not expected that, not at all. Gunther offered her his hand, which she took mutely, letting him pull her to her feet.

“...you know a lot about hatred.” She muttered to his back as she followed him back into the woods. Even through the padded cloth, she could see his shoulders tense.

“Yes... yes, I do.”

000

 

The duchy of Nestra, like all of the southwest of Nohr, was a barren wasteland. Even without feet of snow piling up, there would be precious little by way of scenery. No shrubs or tress, not even the gnarled, long dead remains of either anywhere to be found as they ventured south. It was hard to imagine how such a dead land could have such wealth. The wealth, Shura reminded them, was localized in the southernmost reaches of the territory, where the ocean allowed them easy access to Hoshidan merchants and nobles and the coin they brought with them.

 

The streets were little more than hard packed dust which, when trampled underfoot with the melting snow, created a cold, muddy slush for them to slog through. The villages they passed through could easily have been mistaken for abandoned had it not been for the thick, acrid smoke pouring from chimneys and choking the air. The closer they got to the hub of the south, the larger the villages became, some even rivaling cities in size, but the sorry state of them did not abate. There were beggars, clad in wet, filthy rags lingering near the door of every business, pleading with those entering for alms. The Hoshidans stared openly, as if they had never seen people in such dire straits before. Nerr hadn't either, but she kept her eyes glued to the ground in front of her. Even Azura seemed uncomfortable as grimy hands pulled at her dress, begging for food, coin, anything.

 

“I don't remember it being this bad...” She whispered, her voice tight.

“You were a kid when you were taken from Nohr. You wouldn't remember much.” Shura reminded her. The singer nodded, then paused, frowning back at the older man.

“How would you know that?”

“I know lots of things...” He muttered darkly in response.

“Shouldn't there be soldiers here?” Yuugiri asked, her lips twisting in displeasure. “They should deal with these vagrants. Sumeragi-sama would never have let the peace be disturbed like this...”

 

“Wait, what?” Takumi rounded on her, his brows furrowed. “My father wouldn't send soldiers out to harass the smallfolk!”

“Sure he would!” Shura's voice was too loud, too cheerful, barely masking the contempt of his words. “Why do you think Shirasagi's so nice and peaceful? Castle guards, oh, they hate anyone who looks a little shabby. At least, they did when _I_ went there looking for help... but I can't imagine Mikoto changed things around too much.” Sakura shook her head, her lips working without words for a drawn out moment.

“N-no... Mother wouldn't-- she wouldn't do that... would she...?”

“Of course not, Sakura-sama.” Yuugiri told her gently. “Mikoto-sama was a kind empress. When you were still little, after the war had claimed so many of our soldiers, she had food distributed from the castle to the hungry smallfolk.”

 

“Garon does that too, and has for years.” Gunther intoned dryly. “Placating the masses with food to keep them from rioting is the oldest trick the monarchy knows.” A heavy silence fell over them, interspersed by the din of the city, chattering and wailing and, in the distance, the hollow clang of a bell. Nerr imagined it marked the beginning of a service for the faithful, imagined people piling into a temple to ask the gods to bless them and deliver them from the horrors that lay in store. It was a bleak fantasy, but the only other reason she knew that bells rang was to mark a funeral. Her gait slowed, until she found herself outpaced by almost everyone else. There was one other straggler, she noticed. By pure coincidence, she found herself marching alongside Takumi. At any other time, she'd have forced herself to speed up or slow down just to get away from him, but she was too tired for that. Besides, he wasn't glaring at her, or complaining, or even breathing in her direction. His eyes restlessly darted around the city, from one hovel of misery to another.

 

“If I lived here, I'd probably want to conquer Hoshido too...” He whispered, his voice tight with enough emotion to throw her for a loop. “There are _children_ out here... cold and hungry...”

“Everyone is cold and hungry in Nohr.” Nerr told him quietly. “Were that alone why Garon sought your land, I wouldn't even question him... But it isn't. It may be what he originally intended, but Anankos won't be satisfied with mere conquest. He would reduce both kingdoms to worse than this.” They walked silently for a while, before Takumi spoke up once more.

“If everything goes right- if the war can end and this Anon-thing can be stopped... I-- I'm going to talk to Ryouma about opening trade with Nohr again.” The Nohrian princess stopped, taken aback by his words.

 

“ _You?_ You would willingly help Nohrians?” He sputtered, color rising in his cheeks in frustration.

“There are _children_ out here! Who cares if they're Nohrian!? That doesn't mean I've forgiven Nohr for all the horrible, evil things they've done, but little kids shouldn't be cold and hungry in the streets...” She stared as he stormed past her, still muttering under his breath. A quick trot caught her up to him, and she took a few steps ahead so she could face him as they walked.

“Thank you, Takumi.” His cheeks flushed even darker.

“For what? I didn't do anything.”

“I know.” Nerr admitted. “It's not what you've done so much as what you said. It's surprising, especially coming from you. ...but it was a nice surprise. I needed one of those.” The prince shook his head.

 

“You're so weird...” He muttered under his breath, picking up the pace. She watched him go, feeling ever so slightly better about the situation going forth. Takumi was the last person she would expect to ever feel anything even remotely approaching sympathetic towards Nohr's people, but he _did_. He had, of his own volition, with no prodding. If an immature, literal child could see the crux of the situation with relative ease, then surely a mature, likely intelligent ruler would be able to as well. Inhaling deeply, she quickened her steps.

 

The border between northern Nestra and Cyrkensia was as pronounced as the border between Nohr and Hoshido. High walls framed by deep canals opened into a sprawling, glittering city that put Shirasagi to shame. Even with the sun only just setting, lights illuminated every window and every street corner, casting a warm haze over the sky. Nerr couldn't keep still, her head all but on a swivel, trying to take in every single inch of the view laid out before her. The streets were already filled with people, most of them in finely made clothes, and more than a few wearing obviously Hoshidan robes. Music, singing and instruments both, underscored the general din of dozens of people talking all at once. Perfumes and spices and tinctures and roasting lamb and chicken and smoke and sewage hung in the air, an overpowering miasma. She had dreamed for years of seeing the arts capital of Nohr, fantasized of this one place above all else, Gunther's stories painting it as the shining jewel of the west in her mind. And being here now, after so long, taking in the sights, the sounds, the smells... It all left her pushing past the others, hands clasped over her mouth as she ran towards the nearest gutter and retched violently.

 

“Milady!” Jakob was at her side immediately, holding her hair back as vomit splattered onto the cobblestones. “Lady Nerr, are you alright?!” Groaning, she stumbled back, wiping the bile from her lips with a shaking hand.

“It's too much... oh, I hate it...” Her blasting migraine seemed to amplify every dot of light into a white hot poker jammed into her eyes, every word spoken, every laugh into a pick driven into her brain, which in turn only made the pressure in her skull that much worse. As her steward led her back to the others, Azura approached her, thin brows furrowed in concern.

“Let's see if we can find somewhere quiet to sit down.”

“I think we're short a person, Azura-sama.” Kaze interjected, his features pinched as he looked around. A cursory glance at the group was enough to realize there was a head of snowy curls missing.

“Eh, he'll turn up eventually.” Nerr wasn't too concerned. There was hardly a place they'd traveled past since arriving on the mainland that didn't result in Shura wandering off on his own only to turn up half an hour later. He claimed he needed to speak to someone, but if that was the case, he must have known damn near everyone in the south of Nohr.

 

For all the things Cyrkensia had in abundance- tailors, apothecaries, patisseries, armories, brothels- “quiet” was just about the only thing there was a noticeable scarcity of. The calmest places were the narrow lanes between the dozens of shops and homes. They weren't exactly clean- in fact, the one Nerr had staggered into smelled as though it had been the scene for several murders and/or drunken blackouts, but after the earlier barrage on her senses, blood and piss and bile were at least _simple_. She leaned against the wall, trying to breathe through her mouth before immediately giving up on that idea as the taste of the air was a thousand fold worse than the smell. Sakura padded up to her, clutching a new, Nohrian-styled healing staff in both hands.

 

“Do you- do you want me to heal you, nee-sama?” Her voice sounded nasally, as though she were trying hard to breathe as little as possible. Nerr shook her head.

“No. Save our equipment; that's not going to do anything for a headache.”

“What we need to do now,” Azura spoke from the mouth of the alley, not at all keen on entering it. “Is to find someone who knows about what happened in Chevalier as quickly as possible. We might draw suspicion asking Nohrians, so it would probably be better to seek out a Hoshidan merchant, or maybe even a performer- they usually have all manner of insight to the goings on.”

“Yuugiri-san and I can scout potential candidates. It would be much quicker with a bird's eye view than trying to push through these crowds.” Tsubaki mused, his fellow flier nodding behind him. The songstress smiled a bit.

 

“That probably _would_ be the quickest method. You won't get lost, will yo--”

“Lady Nerr!!” She was cut off by a hoarse cry. A familiar figure clad in green ran in through the other end of the alley. Nerr frowned deeply. She had never seen the thief in such a state, not even when she'd first encountered him in the Sevenfold Sanctuary.

“Shura? What is it, what's wrong?” He skidded to a halt a foot from her, leaning heavily on his knees as he fought to catch his breath.

“The soldiers are here.”

“What soldiers?”

 

“All of them.” He looked up, dark eyes shining in the gloom. “Nohrians, Hoshidans- they're in middle of town. There's already been an attack; people are trying to get the hell away from there.” The princess pushed herself away from the wall.

“Then that's where we need to go.”

“Are you sure about this, Lady Nerr?” Jakob asked, his voice tight with worry. “You still look unwell...”

“Nothing is going to wait until I feel better, Jakob. Shura,” She turned back to the pirate. “Do you know exactly where they are?”

“It shouldn't be hard to find- it'll be the place everyone's running away from.”

 

“Then let's find it. Tsubaki, Yuugiri- you two fly ahead and see exactly what's going on. If there are any civilians trapped in the crossfire, you need to help them.”

“Right away, Nerrida-sama.” Both Hoshidans bowed slightly, running off with their mounts to find enough space to take off. Her heart thudded against her chest in dread, every beat another blow of a spike to her temples, but she bit back the the pain, her steps determined as she walked out of the alley.

“With me, my lady. The last thing we need is for you to get trampled underfoot in the panic.” Gunther beckoned her to his mount, helping her onto the saddle as he quickly climbed up in front of her.

“Don't get too far ahead of us, old man!” The butler angrily shouted up at him.

“Then keep up this time.” He called back, digging his heels into Caractacus' sides, turning him around and heading back into the crowded main street.

 

Atop the courser, she could see over the heads of the crowd, and with her sharp eyes, she noticed a crush of people in the distance, the flow of foot traffic coming to a halt as people pushed in both directions. People bumped into the horse as they tried to squeeze past. Nerr was aware that there were soldiers in the city, and that they were fighting, but judging by the reaction of people, it was hard to believe that it was anything more than a scuffle, a bar fight that just so happened to be between trained and armed soldiers. She hadn't been expecting the explosion. It was so far away, but so loud that she could feel the vibrations through the air like thunder. Everyone could, judging by the way they all jumped and yelped. It sounded almost like rain at first, a low, deep rumble that reminded her of water lashing against her window, but then she heard it, the crash, the screaming growing louder and louder as the crowd began pushing back like a wave. Gunther snapped the reins, urging them forward as swarms of ever more hysterical citizens continued pushing them back.

 

Nerr could feel her heart in her ears as she was jostled, the sight of people running in terror from a loud noise bringing back red, red memories of Shirasagi. They managed to break through the crowd, charging ahead at a quick canter, passing by people who had fallen and been trampled in the wake of panic. Were they hurt? Were they even alive? She wanted to jump down, to try and help them, but the last time she had jumped off the horse while they rode, the whole world went to hell. Her muscles clenched, arms wrapping tighter around the knight's waist as they rode faster. She only just had time to register the cloud of dust before it washed over them, obscuring her vision to only a foot in front of her face, stinging her eyes and choking her. Caractacus stopped suddenly, startling and thrashing about in a panic as more bodies collided with him, appearing from the white wall suddenly and without warning.

 

“Nerr!”

“Lady Nerr!”

 

She could hear Azura and Jakob, but even as she looked about desperately, she couldn't see them. All she caught glimpses of were random bodies appearing from the dust as they ran past and vanishing once more, as though beneath thick foam. She tried calling out for the others, but opening her mouth only resulted in dust coating her tongue and throat, leaving her coughing. Another explosion went off behind her, this one so much closer, too close. Fearfully, she lurched forward, nearly concussing herself on the steel plates in front of her as she covered her head. Would there be shrapnel this time? Would it tear through her the way it tore through her mother? She didn't feel anything pierce her flesh, only a powerful gust whipping her hair about. There was another one, and another. Each time she heard the bang, she flinched, but there was never any blow aside from that of a sudden wind, blowing away some of the dust.

 

_“_ _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach...”_

 

Azura sang as though she were trying to supress a bad cough, but even as those first notes rang out, Nerr could feel the air grow cooler, cleaner. The dust cleared more and more, revealing a rapidly spinning pillar of water which seemed to draw the detritus into it, allowing them to see and breathe easier. The water fell to the cobblestones with a massive splash, soaking everyone who was close enough. The blunette's raised arms fell to her sides at once as she swooned, Kaze quickly darting forth to catch her. Takumi moved ahead of them, his bow draw, the light of the magical thong catching on what particles still hung in the air, adding an eerie glow around him. Frowning deeply, he aimed upwards, an ethereal arrow manifesting as he bent the bow, only to be released a second later. It cut through the haze, and with no target, detonated within seconds, resulting in another blast that blew away the dust.

 

“What the hell happened here?!” He asked, fear and anger competing in his voice.

“I don't know. It looks like it came from the Grand Palais.” It was one of the few times she had ever heard Gunther's voice as anything but collected. She could feel him shaking ever so slightly as he urged his steed forward. The dust began growing thicker again, mingling with acrid smoke. Stragglers continued to pushing past them, covered in a thick coating of ash, looking like ghosts, the screaming and wailing only making the similarity more pronounced. More bodies littered the ground, the dust atop them so thick they were barely discernible from the ground itself. She could see lights in the distance, incredibly diffused through the smoke, but there none the less. Lights meant people. Biting her lip, Nerr hopped down, trying her hardest to avoid stepping on anyone.

 

“Lady Nerr, what are you doing?” She didn't answer him, pulling out her dragonstone and gripping it as tightly as she could with her shaking hands. Fear clouded her mind, blocking out the pain as her limbs cracked and broke and stretched. For the first time, there was no difference in her vision, no way to tell just from sight alone that she had transformed. The people who ran into her either didn't notice that there was a monster in their midst, or else, whatever they were fleeing was so much worse. Rearing up, she beat her wings- it felt just like flapping her arms when she was a child- powerful gusts of wind beating against the dust, clearing it away with greater efficiency than what Azura and Takumi had managed. The Hoshidans jogged past her, their weapons drawn as they scanned the desolation, still working hard to clear the air as they walked.

 

It didn't take long before they reached the middle of the city, and yet, it seemed to take an eternity. The shock of the sight before her left her shrinking, her body becoming as small as she felt. It was impossible to think that she was in a city at that moment. Flames and debris and bodies littered the streets, everything stained gray and black and red. She expected so many more buildings to be laying in complete ruin, but most of them were almost fully intact. Heavy slabs of stone had fallen from some, crushing anything below, the lucky few probably having died immediately as their heads and torsos were flattened. Others, trapped by their arms and legs, screamed and cried hysterically. Nerr gasped for breath that wouldn't come as she stared. Azura stumbled beside her, and she reached out without thinking to steady the singer.

 

“Oh, gods...”

“This... this couldn't be from the soldiers. They couldn't _do_ this...!” She exclaimed, desperately hoping it to be true. Were there the seeds of another rebellion in Cyrkensia? Had Hans come to wipe this one out too? Something small brushed past her hip, and she looked down to see Sakura dash out past her. Tears cut through the dust painting her face as she looked around, clutching her staff tighter.

“W-we--we have to help th-them!!” She ran off, Takumi hot on her heels.

“Sakura, wait!! It's dangerous!!!”

 

The young princess paid them no mind, looking for someone, anyone she could help. Nerr forced her feet to move, forced herself to step through the blood and macerated pieces of flesh littering the streets like grisly stones in her path. The others were behind her. She assumed they were; looking back to check would mean a second glance at the carnage she had already passed. Sakura had stopped around the nearest corner, kneeling in the debris as Takumi tried and failed to move a particularly large pile of wood and stone. She couldn't see why they had stopped there, but an agonized howl cut through the air before she could ask.

 

“Help me... Please, help me...!” It was the first plea she had heard that actually sounded like coherent words rather than anguished wailing. She put on a burst of speed, nearly tripping in her haste to stop. The lane was blocked by the rubble Takumi still tried to pry loose, and trapped beneath it were two people. Mostly people. They looked human, but their ears were large and pointed, growing from the tops of their skulls like the nekotama she had seen amongst Shura's crew. Only one of them, the one with dark hair, was speaking, tears and snot and blood dripping from his face as he struggled to pull himself free, all in vain. The other just lay there, eyes open but unseeing, tongue lolling out. Blood slowly pooled out from under the rubble, soaking into the dust beneath him, into his robes and dark blonde hair.

 

“What happened?” Nerr knelt as well, another pair of red eyes, these glazed in pain, meeting hers.

“I don't... know...” He croaked miserably. “Something... attacked...”

“Soldiers?” Takumi paused in his efforts, looking down expectantly.

“N-no... Couldn't see them... smelled them. Like dirty water. Knocked down the-- AUUGGGHHHH!!!” He stopped suddenly, writhing in agony. Sakura reached out, stroking his head in a desperate attempt to calm him. It did no good as he flopped about on the ground, panting and retching. “It hurts... IT _HURTS!!!!!_ Oh gods, _HELP ME!!!_ I don't want to die!!! _PLEASE!!!_ ” Nerr got back to her feet.

 

“I'll get you out of there!” She hooked her finger under the largest piece of stone, the reds and blues in her periphery turning gray as her arms elongated, growing thicker, stronger. She managed to lift it an inch. Then another. Takumi, quickly seeing that her efforts were actually getting somewhere, joined her, pushing the slab up in agonizing increments. The man's screaming grew louder as the pressure was lightened, and beside her, she could see Jakob and Hinata join in to help her as well. With a last strain, they managed to flip the slab over, the samurai immediately trying to pull the trapped soul free. He shook violently, his hands spasming as he was moved. Any hope they may have felt- definitely all the hope _Nerr_ felt- died at once as they saw the state of him. There was little actually resembling legs, just cloth soaked with blood and tears where the bones and meat pushed out. The man reached out a shaking hand to Sakura, desperation and terror etched deeply into his face.

 

“H-help me... please... heal me...” She stared at him tearfully, eyes wide as though she couldn't really see him.

“I-I-I-I-I-I--”

“ _Please!_ ” Nerr knelt back down, the stench of blood filling her sinuses, ensuring she'd never be able to smell anything else ever again.

 _“We'_ _re going to_ _help you. Close your eyes.”_ He looked up at her, blinking slowly. Even in all gray, she could see the color draining from his face.

“I don't want to die...” He whispered.

“ _You won't. We'll help you. Just rest while we get you_ _someplace safe_ _. ...what's your name?”_

“F-Flannel...”

 

 _“That's a nice name. I'm Nerr. Just relax. Everything will be fine.”_ She reached out and took his hand. She assumed he would recoil from the claws and scales, but he seemed happy to just have a bit of contact. He smiled weakly, giving her hand a little squeeze as his eyes drifted shut. It took less than a minute before his shaky breaths slowed and then stopped altogether. Sighing, Nerr set his hand back down, getting to her feet. She willed herself to change back; seeing the horror in it's brilliant red glory would be a hundred, thousand times better than tasting it. She could feel her mouth watering, in spite of her disgust and shame. Sakura wept openly, rubbing her eyes and leaving muddy streaks across her face.

 

“I couldn't-- I couldn't do-- I-I-I--” Hana ran up to her, pulling her into a tight hug, allowing her to weep into her off-pink robes as she rubbed the princess' back.

“It wasn't your fault, Sakura-sama! Not even the best healer in the world could have done anything for _that!_ ”

“How did this even happen...?” Takumi's voice sounded small and hollow, as though it had been pulled from the bottom of a deep well. The Nohrian princess turned to him, frowning.

“Didn't you hear him?” He shook his head.

“He said he didn't see anything--”

 

“No, he said he _couldn't_ see them. But he smelled them.” The younger boy scoffed.

“So?”

“So it was the same monsters that attacked Shirasagi, you walnut!” She grabbed his sleeve, pulling him closer, her still thick fingernails tearing holes in the blue silk. “They're Anankos' soldiers! _This_ is what Azura and I have been trying to warn you all would happen!” Azura herself stepped closer, staying far enough from the ever expanding pool of blood. Her arms shook as she wrapped them around herself.

“I thought that he would wait until both kingdoms were weak from the war, but he's not wasting any time. We need to find the soldiers and tell them what's happening before they kill each other.”

 

“Explaining things to soldiers has never made them stop before.” Nerr wryly mused, but the singer's face grew hard, her eyes metallic chips.

“Then I'll _make_ them stop. If they won't listen to reason, then they won't have a choice in the matter.”

“...I like the way you think. Let's look for them; they must be somewhere nearby- there's no way they'd hear this commotion and not come running.”

 

Indeed, the soldiers donning attire from both sides of the continent were close at hand. The air was choked with thick black smoke that poured from the largest building in the town center. Half of it lay in ruins, while the other half glowed with flames, licking at it's base, spitting out of windows. There were people in the windows as well, too far up to properly see, but the tiny shapes leaning out and waving their arms against the smoke could be nothing else. Soldiers mounted on both wyverns and pegasi swooped around the inferno, pulling some to safety. Others, out of desperation or else, hopelessness, simply jumped out, tumbling through the air before hitting the ground, their final landing obscured by the flames, the smoke and rubble. Other soldiers, donning both blue and red, carried survivors away, acting as a crutch, some even carrying them on their back. The canals intersecting the streets were a thick sludge of dirt and debris and bodies, but no one seemed to notice as they crossed them. A shadow descended on them as both pegasus and kinshi landed before them. Three people, their clothes and hair and skin charred, jumped off, stumbling slightly before running off in terror. Tsubaki dismounted first, his once long hair now ragged and so much shorter. Panting, he approached Nerr.

 

“I'm sorry we didn't return to you Nerrida-sama. We saw people stuck in that building, and--”

“Apologize for nothing, you did wonderfully. Did you see anyone who looked like a commander as you flew?” Yuugiri gave a hacking cough as she too dismounted. Most of her sleeves had been burnt away, revealing raw flesh covered in blisters from her wrists to her elbows.

“On the other side of the opera house, milady. I couldn't be certain, but one of them looked like Ryouma-sama.”

“Ryouma!?”

“Nii-sama??” The Nohrian princess ignored the Hoshidans' shock and hope.

 

“We'll deal with them. You two, head back to the city gates and rest--”

“I'm sorry, Nerrida-sama, but I can't do that.” Having gotten a second wind, the older woman stumbled back towards her mount. “There are still people in there. I have to help them.”

“You won't help anyone if you're dead!”

“Then I'd best help as many as I can before I die.” Climbing back into her saddle, she tugged on her reins, giant wings kicking up a cloud of dust and ash as they spread and beat against the air, achieving lift. Tsubaki quickly apologized to Sakura before doing the same. There was no stopping them, and frankly, Nerr wished she could help them. She _had_ wings, they clearly moved, but the thought of being that high in the air, surrounded by flames and people screaming in pain and terror, made it hard for her to breathe. Biting her lip, she led the others forward, to find the commanders. Hopefully, the Hoshidan woman was right and it really _was_ Ryouma. Most of the soldiers they passed paid them no mind, too busy helping the injured or nursing their own injuries. It was unsurprising that their luck would run out eventually, however.

 

“You all! Halt!” Flinching at the sudden shout, the Nohrian princess unsheathed her sword, though she kept it lowered. A cavalier rode up to them, his armor clearly a higher quality than most of the knights they had seen. “You've no business here, Hoshidans. Turn around and leave.”

“Unfortunately, I _do_ have business here. We mean to cause no trouble, sir knight, so kindly leave us to it.”

“I'm afraid I can't-- wait. ...Nerr?” She tightened her grip on the Yato.

“Who's asking?” The Nohrian man gasped, swinging his leg over the saddle and jumping down. She quickly stepped back as he approached her, but his hands didn't go for the sword at his belt. With his light-colored hair, she had taken him as being older than he really was.

 

“I can't believe it! It really is you, Nerr! I thought you were dead!” Before he could come any closer, Takumi took a large step forward, his bow raised, the wind it produced buffeting his hair.

“What do you want, Nohrian?”

“I want you to move aside before I _move_ you, Hoshidan.” With a scowl, he roughly pushed the prince aside, continuing towards the girl, a wide smile on his face. “This is wonderful! I mean, it's not really- the whole city's on fire, damn near- but gods, it's been forever since I've seen you! I _knew_ Lady Camilla couldn't have killed you!” Nerr shook her head slowly, not wanting to upset one of the soldiers and start an altercation before even reaching his commanding officer, but unable to play along with his obvious delusion.

“I'm sorry, Sir, but I do not know you. You are correct that I am Princess Nerr, however, and I would truly appreciate it if you use whatever loyalty you may have towards me to let me pass.” His face fell, his whole posture speaking to his disappointment.

 

“You don't remember me? I-it's me, Silas! We practically grew up together! I-- damn it...” He swore under his breath. “If Prince Xander finds out you're here--”

“Xander's here!? Where is he??”

“No!” The man, Silas or whatever his name was, quickly grabbed her shoulders, pushing her back as she attempted to run past him. “You can't go to him, Nerr, he'll kill you! You're a traitor; you're supposed to be dead! King Garon's ordered everyone to-- hell, _I'm_ supposed to kill any Hoshidans I see on sight!”

“You haven't drawn your weapon yet.” She noted with a cold detachment, earning a heavy sigh from the knight.

 

“...and I won't. You may not remember me- it _was_ a long time ago- but I remember _you_. You're my best friend, Nerr, even if I'm not yours. You need to leave. Take your Hoshidans and leave this place before Xander catches wind of you.” The pain in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes as he looked deep into hers half convinced her that he was telling the truth. If nothing else, _he_ certainly believed he was. She placed her own hand atop his pauldron.

“I can't do that, Sir Silas. I _have_ to speak with my brother. I know who's responsible for this attack.”

“Everyone does- it was the Hoshidans.”

“No it wasn't, you anyan dog!!” Takumi snarled, earning a sneer of disgust from the knight.

“It _wasn't_.” Nerr insisted. “Please. Please, take me to Xander.” Silas pressed his lips together in thin line, a flurry of emotions warring in his eyes in the span of a few seconds.

 

“...I'm sorry. If I do that, he'll kill you.”

“Then--”

“But I _can_ take you to Princess Camilla.”

“Camilla's here too?”

“Mm hmm. Follow me.” He went back to his horse, climbing back into the saddle and walking back in the direction he came from. Nerr began following him, only to have a hand grip her wrist, holding her back. Azura's brows were deeply furrowed, a frown making her look much older than she should have.

 

“You don't actually believe him, do you Nerr? What if he's trying to lead us into a trap?”

“...I don't remember much of my early life, Azura. I didn't believe my mother either, remember? And even if he is, so what? In case you haven't noticed, the whole damn city is a trap at this point. We take a chance and follow him into a legion of soldiers, or stand around waiting for a building to fall on us.”

 

She pulled her hand free, jogging to catch up to the knight. Despite her assurance to the singer that she didn't care about any potential traps, she kept her sword at the ready, eyes darting around, waiting for the slightest sudden movement from the haze. She didn't see anyone come at them, but definitely noticed a large group of soldiers in the distance. She didn't have long to think on them, though, as a loud gasp raised her hackles. The familiar clicking of high heels on stone was an almost surreal sound against the backdrop of screaming and flames crackling.

 

“Nerr! Oh, my precious baby!!” Camilla charged at her, picking her up to better squeeze her. She immediately put her back down without any prompting, a move so out of character it sent a chill down Nerr's spine. “What are you doing here, darling? It's not safe!”

“What are _you_ doing here, sister?”

“I came from Chevalier to speak with Xander when the Hoshidans attacked--”

“It _wasn't_ the Hoshidans, Princess Camilla.” Azura trotted forward, her voice hard. “We spoke to a witness who said he couldn't see them--”

 

“Then how do you know they weren't Hoshidans, dear? You seem fond of them but--”

“He couldn't see them because they were made of water.” Camilla blinked hard, a nervous laugh-scoff bubbling over her lips.

“Made of water? What kind of fairytale--?”

“It's _not_ a fairytale!” To their collective surprise, one of the eldest princess' retainers, the one with long red hair, stepped forward. “They're Anankos' soldiers. ...son of a bitch, _that's_ why we didn't see anything even though we were right here! How could I not have realized that?! Stupid!!” Azura approached her, a wild glint in her eyes as they narrowed.

 

“How do you know about Anankos' soldiers? Who are you?!”

“That doesn't matter. What matters is--”

“ _What matters is_ finding Xander and telling _him_.” Nerr cut her off. “Where is he, Camilla?” The older woman shook her head, looking fearful.

“That's not a good idea, sweetling. Xander is still--”

 

“Oh, gods dammit! I'll find him myself!” She pushed past her sister, ignoring the cacophony of voices calling out for her to stop. He had to be nearby. The fog wasn't nearly as thick as it had once been, but it still made it difficult to see very far ahead. “Xander?” She called out into the haze. “Xander, where are you?!”

 

 _Nerr_... A familiar voice, not too far in the distance.

 

“Brother!” He called to her again, and she ran towards him. A hand reached out to her and she made to take it, only to have her own hand pass through it, coming away wet.

 

Her blood turned to ice in her veins as the flames licked her bare feet, bearing none of the warmth it should. She only noticed the sloshing when it was right on top of her, a vaguely human shape lurching towards her. Pieces of armor floated within it's muddy depths, whirlpools that suggested eyes and a mouth disappearing and reappearing all across it's form as it raised a corroded sword, swinging it at her. She dodged the first blow, but the second came so rapidly she could not move in time. It struck her arm as she tried to raise the Yato, the jagged edge of the blade catching on her sleeve, the only thing that stopped it from going deep enough to cause any serious harm.

 

“Taste my blade, Nohrian!” A crack of lightning blinded her, the heat burning her chilled skin as the monster seized and exploded, splashing her with it's foul viscera. It had been so long since she had seen Ryouma that she barely noticed him as he came charging through the smoke. But then again, he didn't look like her memory of him. His robes and armor were simpler (though he retained his demonic headdress), his hair shorter, though still hanging past his shoulders. Gone was the infuriating arrogance he exuded back in Shirasagi. Now, a haunted look dulled his eyes, though they still widened in shock as he noticed her. “Nerrida! What are you doing here? I'd heard that you returned to Hoshido--”

 

“To speak with you, only to find you weren't there. These soldiers, are they yours?”

“Yukimura sent them, and--” He stopped, his jaw clenching. “No. I have nothing to say to you until you prove to me that you are no longer an enemy of Hoshido.” She gaped at him, disgust and fury building within her.

“Hoshido is the furthest thing from my mind right now, you fool! _Th_ _is_ city is under attack--”

“By those damnable anyan savages! This is what they do, Nerrida; they'd burn their own cities to the ground to try and hurt us!”

“It's not the Nohrians-- gods dammit. Azura!!” She called back behind her. Where the hell was she?

 

“Nerr?” A voice called back to her, but it wasn't the singer. Ryouma raised his blade, lightning jumping across it's glowing edge as hooves pounded on the stone.

“Xander!”

“Gods above... I _knew_ you weren't dead... You couldn't be.”

“Nohrian dog!!” The crown prince of Nohr pulled Asmodeus' reins taut, bringing his destrier to a halt as he too raised his sword, though he made no effort to move. Instead, he let his eyes travel between Nerr to Ryouma and back again, a look of physical pain darkening his handsome features.

“Say it isn't so, little princess. Bad enough you would turn your back on Nohr, but now you conspire with the Hoshidans to destroy her...?! Does your treachery know no bounds?!”

 

“I didn't--”

“Only an inbred parasite like you would believe Hoshidan had anything to do with this! Senseless destruction, murdering innocents? This has King Garon written all over it!”

“Don't speak of my father, you churlish--”

“Both of you, stop it!!”

“Nerr!” They all turned as the others approached, Azura and Takumi in the lead.

“Takumi? What are you--”

“It's an ambush!”

 

“NO!” Nerr reached out to both princes, trying to draw their attention back to her. “This is neither kingdom's doing, I swear to you both on my honor!” Ryouma laughed coldly.

“What honor does a coward who refuses to condemn her parents' murders have? You have _one_ chance to redeem yourself, Nerrida. Join me and we'll--”

“Stand with him and I'll cut you down here and now, you craven bitch!” She gaped at her brother, his words striking her deeper than his blade ever could. There was no time for silence, however, and Azura quickly jumped in to the void she left.

“Please, stop! You're only causing more harm by trying to turn your soldiers against each other. This is Anankos' doing, we can prove it!” Ryouma glared at her, his eyes as sharp as his sword.

 

“I can even see Nerrida turning on us, but _you_ Azura? Nohr has done nothing but made your life hell; why do you try to defend them!?”

“Because this _isn't_ Nohr, Ryouma! Nii-san, you must believe me! Anankos is behind this!” Xander scoffed loudly.

“You might have Leo believing this children's story, but I will not be fooled so-- GAH!” He nearly fell out of his saddle as an arrow hit him dead center, the shaft protruding from his cuirass. He broke it off at the fletching, staring hatefully at it, his eyes wild. “Cowardice... SOLDIERS!!! At arms! Slaughter every one of these byak heathens!!”

“Xander, no!!” Nerr ran to him, grabbed his reins to try and stop him, but the older prince kicked her away. Even with her breastplate, she felt the force of his steel sabaton, the blow knocking her to the ground as he rode back to his soldiers. Jakob pushed his way to her side, picking her up as Azura ran past them both, trying to stop Ryouma with the same amount of luck Nerr had with Xander.

 

“Brother, please! You don't understand!”

“I understand just fine!” He pushed her away as well, giving the singer the same hateful look he had reserved for his blood sister back in those early days. “You're just like the rest of your kind; a wicked, ungrateful harlot. You will pay for corrupting my brother, along with the rest of of these anyan demons. To me, men!” He too ran back into the dust, a litany of voices rising up to drown his out. Nerr had thought to run after them, but another arrow whizzed through the air, catching on her hairpin and breaking off one of the wings. Another inch to the right and it would have lodged into her skull. Gritting her teeth, she turned around.

 

“They can wait- we need to deal with these monsters first. Stay close to the buildings.”

“But they're falling down!” Oboro protested.

“Then get shot!” She ducked into the nearest shadow, reaching up as she felt something hot run down her cheek. Her ear had been nicked, the tip of the long cartilage hanging off. If her heart wasn't pounding, she would have been in a world of hurt, but as it were, she was too busy trying to hear the telltale sound of water close by. To her surprise, Camilla approached her, holding her frosty ax.

“You said we can't see these things, so how do we even know what we're attacking?”

“Easy; they're on fire.”

 

There was at least an archer nearby, but before she could begin to think of any logistics, two distinct sounds caught her attention. One, the din of people running and shouting and swords clashing... the other, the crackle of fire. Gritting her teeth, she waited until she saw the flames, dulled by the dust still hanging in the air. She lunged, intending to drive her blade into it's throat, lopping off it's head. The Yato instead met a sheet of iron, rusted but solid enough to deflect her blow, knocking her aside. A lance thrust at her, striking her waist, the abrasive corrosion hurting more than the cut itself. Camilla charged past her, a dark blur, sinking her ax into the formless shape that should have been it's head. The filthy water solidified, turning a dirty, opaque white that the older woman quickly shattered as she tore her weapon free. She stared at the frozen chunks, the the quivering puddle, shock and disgust melding in her visible eye. She had precious little time to dwell on this new horror as more of them lumbered out from the shadows, drawn out either by the death of one of their own, or else, the potential for more victims.

 

Gurgling roars filled the air as they charged, cutting and hacking at anything that was close enough, even if their own were in the way. Nerr watched one of them cut through another's arm as it tried to reach her, heard the soft splat as it hit the ground. Hana and Hinata pushed to the front of the their vanguard, carving through the watery swarm. A panicked cry rang out behind them, heads turning to see dozens of writhing arms wrapping around Azura, snaking around her throat and mouth as a liquid titan rose up behind her. She flailed, her hands ineffectively clawing at the limbs, fingers squelching as they sank into the viscous fluid.

 

“Nee-san, duck!” The singer could not so much duck as sink down a bit, deeper into the depths of her captor as a glowing arrow cut through the air. It met with it's target, mud and rocks and sludge spraying over them as the creature exploded, it's lower half quivering before collapsing. Azura, with nothing to hold her upright any longer, collapsed as well, coughing and gagging as she spit out the rancid water. Silas ran to her, smashing his pommel into one of the monsters as it grabbed at him, lifting her up only to drop her again as another arrow sank deep into his unarmored arm, the dull thunk drowned out by a scream. Picking up the fallen shield, Nerr hid behind it as she too approached both people, squatting in front of them.

 

“Stay low to the ground! Go!” Azura didn't need to be told twice, crawling back towards the others on her hands and knees. Silas was less compliant.

“I can help you, Nerr!”

“You can help me by not being a liability! Get back!” She didn't wait to see if he would listen, instead creeping forward. She flinched every time an arrow hit the shield, some bouncing off but more than a few piercing a weak spot in the metal, sending shards cutting into her face as the rusted points came close to her face. From beneath the shield, she could see flames growing brighter. She launched herself at them, at the swirling mass above them, putting her whole body behind the shield. There was a crack, a splintered bow falling to the ground, but no soon than she thought this threat was dealt with did the fire begin burning hotter, brighter. The beast shrieked as it bubbled, boiling away, but the heat remained. The sheild glowed around the edges, crumbling away as she dropped it, throwing herself to the ground as well.

 

“Oh!” The fireball dissipated, leaving only the lingering heat and stench of her own burning hair and clothes as hooves clattered on the cobblestones. Dusty black boots ran up to her, stopping inches from her face. “Nerr! I didn't see you!” Blinking hard, the Nohrian princess looked up, her view obscured by a mass of fluffy petticoats. No...

“Elise?” No... it couldn't be, it had to be another soldier. As she pushed herself to her feet, thin arms wrapped around her waist, and she noticed that the two-toned hair was no longer in pigtails, but a far more practical braid.

“I missed you _sooo_ much!!”

“What are you doing here!?” Nerr snapped, pushing her sister away. Maybe she had come here to see a show? But why would Garon let her go alone? Surely she hadn't accompanied Camilla to a potentially deadly rebellion? That was made obvious by the eldest princess' own distressed cry.

 

“Elise!! You're supposed to be in Krakenburg!!!”

“I snuck out with Xander's troops...” She whined. “You all left me all alone with Father! I'd rather be out here!”

“Damnation!” Nerr swore loudly. If she tried to return her to their brother, he would probably accuse her of kidnapping. “Find your retainers and go back to the city gates.”

“They're not here. I had to juke 'em because Arthur would never let me face Hoshidans. Oh!” She tugged piteously at her sister's hem. “Let me stay with you, Nerr! Please! I don't want to go back home! I can help! Look!” She held up a tome, it's red leather still taut and vibrant. “Leo's been teaching me offensive magic! I already killed that monster!”

 

“...then stay close to Camilla and _don't get killed_.” At least if she was in the middle of a group of actual soldiers, it would be less likely that she could be targeted. There were no more arrows, no more flames licking at their feet. It seemed unlikely that every demon had been vanquished, but there were no more in their immediate area. They needed to stop the ones actually causing harm now, the soldiers of both kingdoms. Takumi insisted that he could speak sense into Ryouma, and Nerr was more than willing to let him try if it meant _she_ didn't have to face him yet. Splitting into two groups and flanking the larger skirmish seemed their best option.

 

Cyrkensia was a large city, but a crowded one. Buildings and shops were packed close together, and the rubble from those that had fallen blocked off large sections of already claustrophobic lanes. The canals that intersected them only served to further shrink the battlefield, as any unlucky soldier who backed away too far or was knocked into them fell deep, deep into the filth, a mix of sewage and runoff from the tanning district. Crammed into so tight a space, the knights and samurai looked like a homogeneous blob rather than a collection of individuals. All Nerr could make out were dull flashes of red and blue, the occasional sword disappearing into a chink of armor or exposed torso.

 

She searched the crowd for a familiar head of blonde hair, but many of the soldiers whose helmets had fallen off were flaxen. Gripping the Yato, her hand sweating in her glove, she pushed forward, her retainers behind her. She parried the attacks that came near her with blows from the flat of her blade. She wasn't trying to kill anyone. A swing from a war hammer that just barely missed her head was enough to distract her from the approaching lance until it cut through her cheek, splitting the flesh from lip to ear. The burning was so intense she barely noticed the shrill, almost childlike giggle above her.

 

“Fresh meat! Lord Xander will love _your_ head!” There wasn't time to see a face, just wild blue curls that were quickly obscured by a massive wave rising in front of her, knocking the woman off her horse and into several other soldiers, sending them all toppling over like blocks in a line. Azura ran up behind her, gasping as she noticed the gaping hole in her face.

“Nerr, you have to pull back!”

“Nah tahm!” She couldn't even speak, copper flooding onto her tongue as she tried to move her lips without moving her jaw.

 

As she blocked another sword, she became less focused on the pain, instead simply honing in on moving ahead. The singer stayed close to her, proving to actually be a boon rather than a hindrance. More than once, she trilled a high note, providing either a quick shield or, in some cases, an effective battering ram. She hoped Takumi was faring as well, and after smashing her pommel into one unlucky man's face, took a second to try and look for him on the other side of the battlefield. Her attention was drawn to a dark red wyvern swooping down, it's rider not clad in the silver armor of the royal army, but in a strange crimson. Nerr only caught a glint of silver from the corner of her eye before it was thrust at her. She could feel the cold blade, the cross guard digging into her stomach as a man with steely hair jammed it under her arm. The flat rubbed against her arming coat. The lack of pain somehow terrified her more than if she had felt blood pouring out of her.

 

“Wha...?”

“I'm not trying to hurt you, Lady Nerr.” Her would-be assailant whispered in her ear. “I'm one of your brother's retainers. I know you're telling the truth about Anankos. I'll try my hardest to help you convince him, but you have to break up this fight. I can't do it.” He made a show of pulling his sword free, knocking her to the ground. With one last look, he disappeared back into the fray.

“My lady!” A ragged roar preceded several shrieks of terror and agony as soldiers on both sides were knocked aside by a lance, those lucky enough to avoid being bludgeoned instead trampled under massive hooves. Gunther jumped down, smashing his shield into the face of a swordswoman who foolishly tried to engage him. Shifting his lance to offer up a free hand, he lifted Nerr back to her feet. “Stay behind me, Lady Nerr!”

 

“Nuuh! Geh bahch!” She sheathed the Yato, fumbling for her dragonstone, bloody drool dripping onto the blue stone as she clutched it tightly. Her cheek further split across the cut, her entire jaw ripping off as her skull grew. Some soldiers tried to put distance between themselves and the quickly expanding monster. Others rudely began focusing their attacks on it, while most simply didn't notice until they were knocked to or fro by a lashing tail or massive wings.

 

“What the fuck is that thing!?”

“It's a dragon!”

“Kill it!”

“The gods have come back to punish us!!” It surprised her just how many soldiers threw down their weapons, falling to their knees. Perhaps if she was in their situation, she would have done the same. Instead, she reared up on her back legs, raising herself far above everyone's head, letting out a primal roar. Many more soldiers dropped their weapons in their haste to cover their ears.

 

“ _That is ENOUGH!!_ _Cease this foolishness, all of you! You kill each other while your true foe continues wrecking havoc under your noses-- GAH!!_ ” Something heavy and sharp tore through the membrane stretched between her wings. She looked around wildly for the perpetrator, watery saliva dripping from her maw as the voice in the back of her mind told her to _eat_ whoever was responsible. “ _Alright, which one of you fucking cunts threw that!?”_

“We won't listen to your lies, your traitorous _bitch!_ ” The voice was coming from above her, and she looked up to see the wyvern from before. It's rider had pulled out another throwing ax from the holster at her saddle. “You turned on your people! The only reason you'd tell anyone to throw down their weapon is so you could execute them! That's what your kind always do!” Her self-righteous rant was cut short as a fireball exploded in her face, knocking her from her saddle. Nerr wasn't particularly upset, although she wished the Hoshidans hadn't caught her and had instead let her simply hit the paved ground. Unfortunately, her rabble rousing had once again sparked the ire in the soldiers that shock had momentarily quelled. They took up arms once more, throwing themselves upon their enemy, blades sparking, blood and sweat and fear and hate swirling in the air, overpowering the dust and smoke. The stench, the heat of so many bodies pressed against her... it was enough to drive her mad. _Insects..._ Her mind seethed. _Asinine livestock...!_

 

“ _Stop it! Stop fighting! Stop it Stop It STOP IT!!!!_ ” She felt like a child, her body too small to contain her rage as she thrashed, stomping her on the ground again and again. A deafening roar filled the air as water rose around her, spinning rapidly, sending anyone who touched it flying. No sooner had it risen did it fall, crashing onto the soldiers, a tidal wave knocking them all back. Everyone groaned in misery as they tried to get back to their feet, but before they could, a figure in white and blue ran forward, the air around her glowing.

 

“ _You are the ocean's gray waves, des_ _tined_ _to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

The normally slow, soothing melody was now forceful, more akin to a military anthem than a lullaby.

 

“ _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time; the path is your to climb...!”_

 

Azura didn't just sing with her voice, but her whole body, performing a writhing, ethereal dance that further punctuated her words. The soldiers who had not yet gotten back up simply let their bodies collapse in the filth, while those who _had_ dropped their weapons. Even, Nerr noticed, Xander and Ryouma. They staggered forward like drunks, their holy swords forgotten.

 

“What... is this...?”

“Azura... what are you...?” This was probably the spell the singer had intended to cast back in Shirasagi that day, something to calm her down. Everyone definitely looked “calm”... It did not relax Nerr, though. It felt as though she had just drunk a stein of mulled wine, warm liquid courage flowing from her throat to her fingers and toes. She stepped forward, standing between both princes.

“ _This battle has ended. Both of you, inform your soldiers of that.”_

“N-never...!” Xander spat weakly. “We shall not kneel to Hoshido...”

“Murderous fiends cannot be allowed dominance over us. This war will continue until we draw our last breath!” Ryouma declared, his eyes narrowed as he looked up at her. She wished, desperately, that he could see her own expression as she lowered her face to his.

 

“ _Ryouma, I will fucking slap you. If you don't call this off_ _ **right now**_ _, I swear to_ _every god- including_ _myself-_ _that_ _this WILL be your last breath. Look at your soldiers! Does it LOOK like they can continue fighting!?_ ” She turned to her brother, the one she actually thought of as her brother without reminding herself to. _“And that_ _g_ _oes doubly for you, Xander. Cyrkensia is in ruins and you care more about finding a scapegoat than helping your people! The soldiers I saw helping civilians- every last one of them is better equipped to be a prince than_ _ **you**_ _!”_ Azura approached them, stumbling and falling. Before Nerr could even attempt to go over to her, the singer got to her knees, crawling through the filth to them. Dark purple bags under her eyes gave her a cadaverous look, but even as her voice shook from exhaustion, her words were firm.

 

“Are you two done acting like children? Because this isn't the least of what I can do. You think you feel bad now; imagine how you're going to feel when I put you in a coma, which is what I'm going to do if you don't _sit down and shut up!!_ ”

“ _You tell them, Azura!_ ” The princes stared at them, doubt and anger and hatred clouding their eyes, but clearly even _they_ were not brash enough to test the patience of a dragon and a... whatever Azura was. A Vallite water witch, perhaps. Inhaling deeply, his normally handsome face twisted into an ugly scowl, Xander was the first to sit. Even in the midst of a burning, ruined city, soaking wet and filthy, he looked regal.

 

“And what would you have us do, Nerr? Hmm? Allow the Hoshidans who launched this attack in the first place go free? They come into _our_ kingdom, murder _our_ people--”

“You describe only yourself, anyan dog! There is no place safe from your megalomania! You've proven time and again that you have no qualms of killing your own people!”

“Both of you are wrong!!” Azura screamed, her voice hoarse. “This attack wasn't perpetrated by Hoshido _or_ Nohr! This is Anankos' doing! His soldiers were here; we've just fought them off!” The brunette man sneered at her.

“You may have fooled Saizou and Kagerou into believing this lie of yours, but I will not be so easily swayed.”

 

“ _Swayed?_ _ **Swayed!?**_ _We have witnesses!!!”_ Nerr screamed, her head pounding- she could almost feel her skull caving under the pressure. _“Oh my gods; Takumi! Sakura! Get over here_ _and talk to your brother_ _before I have a fucking stroke!!”_ The younger royals pushed their way to the front clearing where the others stood, drenched and muddy. Takumi's hair had come loose, and he was desperately trying to pull the long while strands free from his lashes. He gave up, approaching his brother.

“They're right, nii-san. I don't know who Anankos is, but I've seen the monsters they're talking about. They're the same things that attacked Shirasagi, that ki-- that killed Mother...” Sakura peeked out from behind his fauld, shivering violently.

“Even Izana-sama an-and the Rainbow Sage told us--”

 

“I don't care what a crackpot and some crazed hermit told you!” Despite still being under the effects of Azura's spell, Ryouma managed to raise himself to his full height through sheer determination alone. He towered over his younger siblings, glaring at them. “If there are monsters, they're Nohr's doing! Or have you forgotten about the Faceless that raze our villages and murder our people!? Whoever this Anankos is, he's working with Garon! I watched his soldiers slaughter dozens of innocent people who had nothing to do with the rebellion he thought he was stomping out. There is only _one_ evil in this world, and it's the king of Nohr! So you either stand _with_ Hoshido against this evil... or you stand against her.” Sakura quelled under her brother's hard gaze, burying her face in Takumi's back as she began weeping softly. Nerr could see even the younger prince's hands shook around his bow as he tried desperately to not look away from the high prince.

 

“...that's what I thought too, nii-san. I-I thought if you weren't actively trying to kill the Nohrians, then you must have wanted the destruction of Hoshido. I thought everyone here was evil and that they should all be wiped out so we can live in peace. ...I was wrong, Ryouma... and... and so are you. I don't stand against Hoshido... I stand with Azura nee-san and Nerr nee-san to fight the people who _do_.” Ryouma took a half step back, his eyes wide, as though he had just been slapped. When he composed himself, his voice dripped with a seething fury.

“Then you've forsaken us just as they have. I don't care what I have to do to end this war; I _will_ see these Nohrians dead, and I _will_ reclaim my family. My father didn't die so all of you ungrateful bastards could defect!”

“If you want to end the war,” Azura raised her voice, so not just the prince but all of his soldier as well could hear. “Then come to the Chasm before the skies over Hoshido change. It should only be a month or so. I promise you, nii-san... we can be a family again then.” The older man opened his mouth, clearly intending to shout something, but closed it once more, turning on his heel and walking towards his soldiers. The wyvern rider ran up to him, limping rather badly.

 

“Draw back, men. We return to Hoshido. This war is far from over...” The other Hoshidans clambered to their feet as well, though some of them seemed far less enthused, dragging their feet as they followed their prince and commander. Silence, aside from the faint fires and crashes and yells in the distance, eventually overtook the clearing. It was broken when Takumi dropped his bow, covering his face with trembling hands, his shoulders shaking even worse. Azura crawled over to him, drawing him into a hug that he quickly submit to.

“Shhh... shhh, it's okay, Takumi-kun. You were so brave...”

“You are quite the devious mastermind that you can even turn the Hoshidans against once another, little princess...” Nerr's attention was drawn back to Xander as he regarded the scene before him with a frown. He had been so quiet she'd almost forgotten he was there. “But then again, you always were so good at manipulating people... With those sad doe eyes and that ridiculous pout--”

 _“_ _That's just what my face looks like, you ass!_ ”

“--always so quick to flatter and charm; that silver tongue of yours could sell fire to the devil.”

 

 _“_ _At this point, it just sounds like you're jealous that I'm better at_ _winning people over_ _than you._ ” The way his eyes flashed signified that she had hit the nut of it. At another time, in another life, she'd have been gloating that she was _finally_ better than her perfect brother at _something,_ but despite his own attitude this was not the time to act childish. _“What is it that you_ _hope to accomplish_ _, brother?_ ” His eyes narrowed.

“I am brother to no traitor--”

“ _Yes, yes, I know. I'm a wicked cunt that's trying to destroy your very way of life._ _Never mind that I've done nothing to lend credence to that belief, and that there's absolutely NO incentive nor reward for me to do so. Never mind that you've seen the Hoshidans I'm supposedly in league with turn on me_ _ **twice**_ _now._ _What_ _exactly are_ _you_ _trying to do_ _, Xander? In regards to this war, what do you want_ _to happen?_ _”_

“...I want the war to _end_. I want there to be peace. I want to conquer Hoshido so our people can live without fear of starvation, so Father--”

“ _Your father isn't who I'm asking about._ _Is this_ _the fear you_ _ **don't**_ _want your people living in? Is_ _t_ _his is the_ _ **peace**_ _you want, where neutral territories are set upon out of nowhere, where the people are killed with no warning by enemies you can't even see?_ ”

“We can see them just fine! The Hoshidans--”

 

“It wasn't the Hoshidans, dear brother.” Camilla stepped forward, her full lips turned down at the corners. “I could scarcely believe it, but I saw them myself. Like Faceless made of water.” Another person stepped forward, the man who had feigned his attack on Nerr.

“They look like people, but they're not. They're unholy abominations that only exist to kill.” Xander's mouth fell agape as he turned to look at the younger man.

“Lazwald? What are you saying?”

“I'm saying I know full well what Lady Nerr speaks of. I've seen those monsters before I came to Nohr.”

“Both of us did!” The red-haired girl, Selena, stepped forward too. “And Odin too. They tried to kill us, and damn near succeeded. They don't stop- they _never_ stop!” The crown prince shook his head, trying to deny their words, but his doubt was clear.

 

“...then tell me; who is behind this threat. It cannot be- it _isn't_ \- Nohr.”

“ _No, brother. It's not Nohr._ _I have told you time and again the threat is Anankos, but you refuse to listen._ _I cannot name_ _a country_ _, but I_ _ **can**_ _tell you that they come from the Infinite Chasm. Many horrors come from there, and your king and father is in league with them._ ” Xander inhaled sharply, the mention of his father bolstering him, it seemed.

“Then all of this must be a misunderstanding. These... whatever they are, they must be another form of Faceless; they're known to go rogue as well. Father has plenty of allies outside of Nohr, so this Anankos must just be another.” Nerr stepped towards the prince, bearing down on him. It was so strange to tower over her brother, someone she had spent her whole life looking up to, figuratively as well as literally.

 

“ ' _This Anankos_ _'_ _will be the end of you, you_ _damnable_ _fool! You've already decimated the populace of two of your own cities_ _at his behest_ _! Garon isn't striking blows against Hoshido; he's waging war on his own people! You may be the crown prince of Nohr, but if things continue like this, there won't be a Nohr for you to rule_ _much longer!_ ” A long, heavy silence that weighed heavier with each passing second descended on the clearing. It was a weight Nerr would not buckle under. She kept her eyes glued to her brother's face, watching the turbulent emotions playing out there. Finally, the older man inhaled sharply, climbing to his feet.

“You have said you piece. I will think on it.”

“... _sadly, it seems t_ _hat's all I_ _can_ _expect_ _of you_ _now_ _, brother. I know you can be wise... when you want to be._ ” He made an affirming noise in his throat, turning to Camilla.

“Come, sister. We must make sure all the survivors have been found and return to Father with a report.” The lilac-haired woman looked down, hands balling at her sides.

“I think I'm going to stay with Nerr, actually. Just until we meet again.”

 

“Father will see this as treason.” She looked up, violet eyes flashing.

“Father sees many things as treason. I've made up my mind, Xander.” The crown prince huffed in irritation, either at the unpleasant truth of her words or else, the refusal of his orders.

“So be it. Do not say I didn't warn you. Pieri! Lazwald! Each of you, take up half of our soldiers and search the Grand Palais' perimeter for survivors!” Lazwald bowed, turning on his heel to head back to the other soldiers. Xander turned a moment later, taking two steps before pausing. “Is it true that you went to see the Rainbow Sage, Nerr?”

 _“_ _Yes.”_ She wondered how he knew that, and why he even cared.

“And what blessing did he bestow upon you?”

 

“ _You may not have noticed, brother, but_ _I'm a dragon with a holy sword; I don't_ _ **need**_ _a blessing. He told me I'm right about all of this_ _and that you should stop being an ass and_ _ **listen**_ _to me_ _.”_ The prince hesitated, then laughed dryly.

“I wouldn't be surprised. ...you will be at the Chasm?”

“ _When the skies change.”_ With a quiet 'hmm', Xander continued his trek, not sparing her another glance. She had lied. She _did_ need a blessing, she needed the gods to grant her a favor and make her brother believe her. She didn't much believe in divine intervention, but in that moment, she thought up a tiny prayer, pleading for her words to take root in his heart.

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A/N- Well, this was longer than I expected (every time I worry that a chapter might be too short, it spirals out of control). Scarlet didn't get much dialogue or screen time, and that's because _fuck Scarlet_. She's a glorified NPC, nothing more. She has no business being shoehorned into the plot (here's a tip, O writers at IS- _Stop adding a million named NPCs into your already bloated, worthless cast; you aren't skilled enough to make that work)_. And that whole Ryouma being the sensible one while Xander leaves in a huff- are you fucking kidding me, IntSys? I'm supposed to believe that the person who's known MU all their life won't listen to them for five minutes, but the literal stranger they walked out on after a few days _would?_ Miss me with that shit; your cultural posturing is insufferable. (I _really_ fucking hate this chapter of the game; can't you tell?)


	13. Calm Before the Storm

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Ch.13- “Calm Before the Storm”

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Even with the fighting over, the streets of Cyrkensia were still awash with fear. The slightest creak or groan stopped hearts, and with good reason. More than once, a building that had been damaged by Anankos' monstrous army gave under it's weight, slabs of stone falling off, if the entire structure didn't just cave in. Xander, before his departure back to Krakenburg, had set out a call for border guards from all the nearby cities to aid with the rescue, and subsequent protection of the people. Occasionally, as Nerr and her group made their way to the untouched outskirts of town, they would happen upon an ember or tongue of flame in violet, running down it's source and tearing into it until all that remained was a quickly drying puddle. She stared at those puddles for a long time, waiting to see what would sprout from the ground below. Nothing did, leaving only mud. Maybe that only happened in Valla. She hoped so; there didn't need to be any more markers of death, not when congealed blood and charred flesh already littered the streets. They stepped over the sprawled limbs of trapped bodies, filth clinging to their soles. A small part of Nerr's mind wondered what the Hoshidans were thinking, if they resented being branded as traitors... but those thoughts were few and far between, flitting in and out of her mind while she mulled over a grander issue.

 

Both princes had been given a rendezvous, and while she would have loved to imagine they would come for a civil discourse, their attitude only minutes ago told her they would most likely come sword in hand, with an army at their backs. Garon at the least would send a battalion if he thought he could overpower Hoshido's new emperor. The thought of facing armies from both sides again filled her with dread, but not nearly as much as seeing the crowd of people lingering in the street, watching the opera house burn. Their eyes had been glued on the opulent palace as flames consumed it, and perhaps they would have stayed there under normal circumstances. But just as she was large enough to see over the heads of the crowd in her draconic form, so too was she large enough for everyone to easily see her. Slowly at first, and then quicker, the peoples' gaze turned to her. It was like Shirasagi all over again- the destruction, the death, the sky still obscured by dust... They would start blaming her for this. Someone in the crowd called out.

 

“It's a dragon!” And like a flint's spark on kindling, it lit a fire under her. She galloped away, not caring who she knocked over in her haste; they were going to set up a cue and call after her anyway. Her retainers and sisters called out to her, but she ignored them, weaving in and out of the crowd, ducking into alleys too narrow for her, trying to put as much distance between her and the smell of people as possible, but there just wasn't enough distance in a city packed to the brim with people. Finally she stopped, where the neatly laid cobblestones became cracked and broken, giving way to the hard packed dust beneath. The homes here weren't nearly as visually appealing as those in the center of town had been, their brick exteriors black with soot and age. Sewage, human and animal waste alike, flowed in the gutters, but no one was yelling at her or blaming her for the destruction that had happened, so it was objectively better here.

 

She sighed, sitting on her haunches like an animal... Although the pain was dulled, the whole left side of her face still hurt. Sakura or Elise could heal her, but she'd have to go back for that... Absolutely disgusting. Xander and Ryouma may have been idiots who openly looked for reasons to hate one another's country, but _they_ weren't hiding from people like children afraid of being scolded. The swishing of leathery wings drew her attention up only for her to quickly look back down again. She didn't want to see Camilla's face as she landed her wyvern, stepping down into the filth and approaching her.

 

“There you are, dearest. You gave me quite a spook when you ran off suddenly. If you keep doing that, I might have to cut your legs off.” She tittered lightheartedly, but Nerr only lowered her head further. “...that was a joke, sweetie. You're supposed to laugh- if you don't laugh, it sounds like I'm a crazy person.”

“ _Are they after me?”_

“Your merry band of Hoshidans? They _were_ , but I told them to head to one of the inns near the northern border.”

 _“Not them- the townspeople.”_ Camilla laughed, reaching out and patting her on the head, between her horns.

 

“Why would the townspeople be after you? Do you think they're going to send a knight to try and slay you? Oh, you read too many fairytales, Nerr. Though if you're worried about people being afraid when you look like this, then perhaps... _don't_ look like this?”

“ _I have to. My face is cut up--”_

“What?! Where!?” The older woman grabbed her face, turning it this way and that, anger and confusion marring her pretty features. “Who hurt you? I'll murder them!”

 

“ _It's not important.”_

“...well, what _is_ important is getting you all healed up. We can't have that adorable face of your scarring. You can ride with-- Oh. Right. Well, follow me, sweetling.” Her hands fluttering nervously, Camilla ran back to her mount, kicking up dust as she directed it back into the air. Extremely reluctant, Nerr got to her feet, keeping her gaze to the sky as she followed her sister. She could barely see the silhouetted wyvern against the inky darkness of night, but managed to keep up regardless.

 

It was unnatural, after the chaos and fear and death, to walk back into a part of Cyrkensia all but untouched by the destruction. While most of the most lavish buildings had in fact been at the center of the attack, there were quite a few well to-do places along the bank, the filigree of their pennants not even stained with soot. Despite counting royalty amongst their numbers, when compared to the lavish and simple cleanliness of their surroundings, it was hard not to think that their little band looked more like beggars at a feast. The moment they noticed her, part of the group came running, Jakob roughly pushing Takumi out of his way in his haste to reach her first.

 

“Lady Nerr! Thank the gods you're alright! I thought you had been set upon by those horrid beasts! I tried to run after you, but--”

“Why the hell did you run off like that!?” Takumi shouted over him, his rage in sharp contrast to the stewards blubbering fear and concern. Nerr clenched her jaw, looking over to her blood brother.

 _“The last time a group of people in a ruined city saw me looking like this, they decided I wasn't 'extinct enough'.”_ Her voice was harsher than it needed to be. She was certain the prince's eyes would have widened and he'd have looked away in shame even if she had used as loving a tone as humanly possible. Elise managed to squeeze between the others, looking up at her older sister, her own eyes wide with awe, a massive smile stretching her cheeks.

 

“What are you talking about, sis? They loved you!”

“ _What?”_

“Yeah! When you left, everyone was saying 'it's a dragon! The gods have returned!' It was so cool!”

“I, uh... I don't think they necessarily meant that as a _good_ thing, Lady Elise.” The silver-haired knight piped in from behind her. “I think their reaction was more like 'Oh gods, it's the end of days, the Ancient Ones have come back to kill us!' ...but they definitely won't be trying to kill you!” He hastily added to Nerr. “They probably won't be trying to do anything. They are... pretty terrified of everything right now.”

 

“ _And I've just added to that fear._ _Oh gods, what have I done...?”_

“You haven't done anything wrong, my lady. If they wish to believe you a new god of old, then let them.” Gunther assured her. “Tis better to be feared than loved if you can't have both.”

“My darling Nerr absolutely _can_ have both!” Camilla hissed, her eyes narrowed in anger. “She just needs to clean up and rest and then everyone can see their lovely princess in all her glory and start adoring her!”

“ _Oh,_ _no, I don't think--_ _.”_

“You don't _need_ to think anymore, sweetling. Mommy's here now. You just stay out here while I rent us some rooms. Father always stays here; they'll be happy to add to his tab.” Azura approached the older princess, frowning slightly. While some of the color had returned to her cheeks, she still looked exhausted.

 

“Is that wise, Princess Camilla? Surely alerting the king to your actions after turning against him will only bring his fury upon you.” Camilla waved her hand dismissively.

“I'm not turning against anyone. And even if I was, Father hasn't checked his books in decades. Iago runs the royal treasury, and that cock-gobbling eunuch won't say pooh to me. Besides, if anything were to alert him to what's happened, it's Xander, and we'll have quite some time before we're _that_ far upstream...” She turned and smiled sweetly at Nerr. “You just sit tight, precious.” Bells above the door chimed as she walked inside. Once she was out of sight, the Hoshidans began speaking amongst themselves again.

“Do you think she's getting rooms for us, too?” Takumi asked in a low voice.

“No!” Elise jumped in, answering his question for him, her arms crossed over her narrow chest. “You can sleep in the stables!”

 

“What?! Why you little--!”

 _“_ _That's enough, out of both of you.”_ The prince sputtered indignantly.

“B-but she--!”

 _“_ _I heard what she said, and it's probably the truth. One can hardly expect a princess of Nohr to put up Hoshidans on royal coin in the midst of a war._ ” Bolstered by her sister's concession, the young girl stuck her tongue out at the Hoshidans. “ _That doesn't grant you the right to be rude, Elise.”_ Tongue still out, her smug expression waned.

“Whuh?”

“ _They've done you no harm. A proper princess shows respect unless her hospitality is spat upon. Apologize.”_

 

“But I don't wanna!”

 _“Elise...”_ The princess grumbled, hunching in upon herself like a surly turtle.

“Fine. _Sorry_.” Azura chuckled under her breath, sidling closer to Nerr.

“Where was all this talk of manners when you were in Shirasagi?”

 _“Manners don't come into play when you've been kidnapped. I was civil until my mother went back on her word._ _ **No one**_ _bites my hand, Azura. Not even my parents.” '_ _ **Especially**_ _not my parents..._ ' She seethed in her mind, thinking of Garon. Camilla came back out several minutes later, surprising them all by announcing that she _had_ , in fact, procured lodgings for the Hoshidans. Granted they were cheap, and cramped, and they would have to share at least two to a room, but the gesture remained. Sakura tottered forward, still rubbing her red, swollen eyes, and bowed deeply.

 

“Th-thank you, Princess C-Camilla...”

“Oh! What pretty manners you have! So you _are_ taught to be civil in the east.”

“We're a lot more civil than you savages...” Takumi muttered, a knee-jerk reaction, earning a derisive sidelong glance from the older woman.

“...or maybe not. I suppose it's a hit-or-miss thing.” Ignoring the boy's enraged stammering, she approached her sisters, giving the fuming youngest a pat on the head as she passed. “I got _you_ a a suite with a bath, Nerr~ After all this time wandering about like a peasant, we need to remind you of your standing again.”

 

On the one hand, Nerr wanted to remind her that, in the eyes of Nohr as a whole, she had no standing. On the other hand, after months of little more than sponge baths, the thought of a warm tub and finely milled soap was enough to bring tears of longing to her eyes. Of course, baths meant being human, and the mere thought of the pain that awaited her was enough to stay her hand. Through sheer grit, she forced her fingers to uncurl from around her rune. Her bones cracked and splintered, flesh growing softer, weaker... and a thousand times more painful. She hadn't even finished turning back, her jaws still a dislocated bear trap when the realization that her back was flayed and the pain that came with it dropped her to her knees.

 

 _“_ _Oh gods... oh gods, it hurts so much worse than I thought it would...”_ Jakob lifted her to her feet, holding her up. Another body came up to her right side, throwing her arm around their neck. A quick glance revealed Silas, who offered her a small grin.

“Ha, just like when you broke your legs jumping off the landing, eh, Nerr?” She gaped at him. How in all the hells could he have known about that? She didn't dwell on it, her attention forcibly drawn back to the white-hot agony setting her face ablaze as the color finally returned to her sight. Her steward recoiled, his youthful features twisting in disgust.

 

“Ugh! Who did this to you, milady?! I'll murder them!”

“Muhdah lahtah. Heely pleez.” It was so hard to talk without moving her mouth. She wished she retained her thoughts-to-speech ability in this form. Both men mostly carried her into the inn, up flights and flights of stairs and finally to a large room. It was smaller than her quarters in the citadel, but much better furnished. She sank onto an overstuffed ottoman, nearly keeling over had Silas not steadied her. Camilla waffled between looking angry and pacing about in a nervous fear.

 

“Oh... why didn't I learn about healing...?”

“You needn't fret, Lady Camilla.” Jakob told her primly. “I know enough on the matter for all of us. If you wish to make yourself useful, you can send for hot water, needles and thread. This will take a few rounds of healing.” The eldest princess glared at him for all of a second before miserably conceding the fact that standing there was not helpful.

“I'll be right back, Nerr.”

“Breeng boos.”

“What?”

“Boos!”

“I can't understand you, sweetie--”

“AH! CO! HAH!!”

“...what?”

 

“I think she wants alcohol, milady.” Silas clarified, the Nohrian princess nodding weakly.

“Oh, of course you do, poor thing. I think I need a drink, too...” There was not much to do while they awaited Camilla's return with supplies, aside from take off her armor. Jakob spent the entire time glaring at their uninvited guest, but he paid the icy stares no mind. For someone Nerr didn't know, he certainly seemed to know a lot about her. He regaled her with tales that sounded familiar, games she knew she played with her imaginary friends, but it was entirely possible those were just the kinds of games all children played. He seemed to realize that she still didn't buy into his claims, turning to Jakob in desperation.

 

“Come on, Jakob; _you_ remember me!”

“...you're bothering Lady Nerr. Either shut up or leave. In fact, perhaps you should just do both.” Before they could begin arguing in full, Camilla returned, a serving girl in tow who carried a bowl, pitcher, and several towels. As she set them down, the lilac-haired woman set about pouring out a glass of dark brown liquid, handing it to Nerr. She couldn't exactly open her mouth wide without further splitting the torn skin there, but in her desperation, she managed to pour it into slightly parted lips with her head tilted to the side. Some of it ran down her neck, but she was already filthy and wet, so she didn't care. The burn going down her throat was hardly enough to distract her from the sight of Jakob removing his gauntlets, and she snatched the bottle from her sister.

 

It was an arduous process. She had been unconscious while her stomach had been sewn initially. Now, she was awake to feel every single thing. The vulneraries like a hive of wasps under her skin, the needle, blackened by a candle, piercing her again and again as the skin on both her back and face was drawn together. She bore the pain as well as she could, blinking away her tears as her hands spasmed on her leg. Camilla taking hold of her hand made her feel a little better, but she wished it was bigger, warmer. It felt like hours had passed before the final string was cut. If Jakob's exhaustion was anything to go by, it had been. His forehead was drenched in swear when he finally leaned back, finger tacky with drying blood.

 

“There. That should hold for now. It would be best to apply a poultice, but since the amenities are available to you, perhaps bathing first would be a better idea.” Nerr nodded dully.

“Thank you, Jakob.” She could only speak in a whisper, her entire face feeling numb and swollen, but at least her words were clear enough. “I think you need to rest more than I do. Sister, tell one of the servants to draw him a bath... and me too.”

“I'll be right back to wash your hair, dearest.” Camilla cooed as she sauntered from the room once more, Jakob affixing her with a dour glare as he sulked out behind her.

 

Nerr had just closed her eyes, wondering if she could possibly sleep sitting up and realizing she was going to find out soon enough, when a rustling caught her attention. She opened them, to find Silas pulling the coverlet off the bed and awkwardly draping it over her chest. She'd had to strip down completely to the waist so Jakob could tend to her back, but had been so out of it that she scarcely even realized. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been bothered by it- it wasn't as though her steward and sister hadn't seen her nude before. She had not, however, taken the strange knight into account. She fixed him with a cold stare.

 

“Why are you still here? I thought knights were honorable.”

“I _am_ honorable! I wasn't looking at you; I thought you might be cold.” He sat down on the stool the other man had vacated. “Even if I _had_ , which I didn't, who cares? I've seen you naked before. You were always taking your clothes off when we were kids.” He wasn't _wrong_ about that, but he shouldn't have been right.

“I don't know where you get your information from, but it wasn't first hand. I don't know you.” What did he want? Money? Power? Was he looking to blackmail her? To what end? His face fell, lichen colored eyes staring mournfully into the depths of her soul.

“...you really don't remember me at all, do you? We spent nearly every waking moment together for two years! We slept together, like brother and sister! Every day I made the trip from Krakenburg to the Citadel just to play with you. You always made me act out parts from that stupid Prideful Princess story.” Yes, she acted out scenes from the popular tale. It was her favorite, she knew it by heart. She pretended there were other people there, to play her servant and the wicked revolutionary and the evil Michaela who she hated the most... she shook her head.

 

“No. You didn't.”

“I _did_ , though! And we would run through the halls with fake swords. I was the gallant knight who went on a quest to save you from the evil dragon, but whenever I found you, you switched over to the dragon's side...” His brows furrowed as he frowned. “... and... you're actually a dragon. ...huh. When I think about it, it _kind of_ doesn't surprise me that you'd pick your own side, even in a war...” If she tried hard enough, she could almost hear a not-quite-there voice yelling that _you can't change sides, it's not fair! Yes it is, I can do whatever I want, I'm the princess!_ ...what was her imaginary friend's name again? Silas smiled at her, a grin that reminded her of Elise, open and friendly.

“You were the first person I really felt comfortable around. I didn't have to act like a noble with you; I could just be a kid.” He reached out, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “I became a knight so I could see you again, Nerr. I thought one day, when you came to Krakenburg, I could be a part of your guard, and...” His smile waned as he craned his neck back, looking at something behind her. She had been so caught up in trying to untangle those evanescent memories that she hadn't noticed the warmth on her back until she saw Silas' face go white. Turning as best she could without tearing her stitches, she too had to look up to see Gunther's face, livid with a simmering fury.

 

 _“You..._ ” He hissed, his gaze boring holes into the younger knight.

“I-I...”

“I told you to _stay away._ Did you think there was a time limit on that order?!” Even without a weapon in hand, he looked ready to make heads roll, _a vision of fury like something from her nightmares, reaching for the trembling boy_ _“Gunther, no! Don't hurt--_

...him...” She hadn't realized she'd gotten to her feet until she was pushing her retainer back. She could reach so much high than just his legs this time. She looked back at Silas, who was still frozen and wide-eyed. “We had a picnic. Outside the outer bailey.”

 

“Y-yes... yes! You always wanted to see the world outside the citadel, so we snuck out! Everything was going great until _he_ came riding out like a bat out of hell and threatened to _throw me off the cliffside._ ”

“ _You kidnapped the princess!”_ Gunther roared back at him.

“I was seven!” She remembered that, remembered climbing the high, stone wall- all her practice climbing the bookshelves paid off. She had been so happy just to see the mountains without the barrier of her windows, and then Caractacus had nearly trampled her, he was galloping so hard. She used to wake up thinking about that. Her throat tightened as she looked at Silas... _that_ was her imaginary friend's name.

“I thought I dreamed you...” She whispered, her voice breaking as her vision blurred. “I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...!”

 

“Don't be. I mean, you really _did_ remember me, even if you thought I was just a figment of your imagination.”

“Which you soon will be if you don't get out, boy.” His good mood was immediately soured by the older man's threatening growl. He cast an uncertain look at Nerr, who nodded.

“We'll speak later. Go.” He stood with a short, nervous bow, taking a step and pausing to pick up the cover that she had let drop. Quickly handing it to her, he all but ran from the room. Holding it against her chest, she looked up at Gunther, who was instead glaring behind the young knight's retreating figure. “Why are you here?” Rearranging his face back into it's usual stoic facade, he turned his attention back to her without looking at her directly.

 

“I saw three people enter your room with you, my lady. Only two left. I grew concerned.”

“That I was left alone with my _friend?_ My friend that _you_ convinced me wasn't real...?!”

“He kidnapped you, Lady Nerr. You may have been children, but that only makes it worse! The Northern Mountains are dangerous, my lady. Wild wyverns and wolves, rocks slides and gusts that could knock a knight off his horse, even bandits and assassins; how would a child have been able to protect you from those things? When he was sent away, you wouldn't stop asking after him.”

“So you lied to me and convinced me I was crazy?” The older man opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

“You wouldn't stop crying when he stopped coming. So we... bent the truth. But only for your sake, my lady!” Nerr fell silent, gripping the blanket tightly as she walked back to the foot rest, turning her back to her retainer as she sat upon it.

 

“I see. I wish to be alone. You're dismissed, Gunther.”

“...my lady, are you mad at me?”

“No... I'm not mad...” If he believed her or not, he left any way, leaving her with her thoughts. What other nightmares did she grow up believing were all in her head actually turn out to be true? Lies... lies, lies, lies...

000

 

They had little over a month to get back to the Chasm, to convince Xander and Ryouma to jump down into it with them and see Valla for themselves. If they came (' _gods above, please let them come...'_ ) Nerr could always just push them in. It worked just fine for Gunther, after all, she thought bitterly. But the questioned remained then how they could get back.

 

“We'd have about another month or so to get back. The pass doesn't close right away. ...I think.” Azura told her a few days later as both women followed Camilla to a nearby armory. The eldest princess of Nohr woke Nerr up at the crack of dawn, informing her that she needed to be fitted for a new suit of armor. She refused to be dissuaded from the notion, and quite frankly, Nerr herself wasn't against the idea of actual protection so much as being dragged around half asleep. For these last few nights, she'd taken a sleeping draught so she didn't roll over onto her back while it was smeared with poultices, so every morning, she remained nauseous and half comatose until almost noon.

“You _think?_ So what, we get there, get stuck, jump off an island and hit the bottom?”

“Well, _we_ won't. We can go there and get back through the lakes... at least, I'm fairly certain you can. The others...” The singer sighed. “I don't know. I just don't know...”

“What _are_ you two talking about?” Camilla asked, her brows knit together as she glanced over her shoulder at them. Nerr had to hold her jaw closed to stifle a yawn.

“Va--” A hand slapped over her mouth, colliding with both her teeth and the still raw cut at the corner of her lips. She shrieked in agony, a high pitched wail that set off dogs barking far in the distance.

 

“What in all the hells?!” The eldest woman questioned angrily. Azura paid her no mind, instead trying to hold up the younger princess, now a boneless pile of inellegent blubbering.

“I'm sorry, Nerr, but gods damn it, you _know_ you can't say it here!”

“I'm bleeding!” She could feel blood soaking into her dressings. “You didn't have to slap me!!!”

“I had to shut you up! You'd be in a lot more pain than this if I hadn't!” It took several long minutes before she regained her senses enough to keep walking. Camilla walked backwards, eyes darting between the other two.

 

“....is someone going to tell me what that was about?”

“Anankos.” Azura explained tersely. “Nerr was about to say the name of his kingdom, but if she had, she would have died.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“This is why we can't fully explain everything to you. But when we get to the Chasm, everything will be made clear.” Full lips pursed as Camilla regarded the singer, sighing wearily.

“What kind of horrid thing has Father embroiled us in this time?”

 

The smell of smoke and smelted iron was at once overpowering and comforting. Even in the front of the armory, it was still almost unbearably hot, especially when coming in from the cold of the streets. It wasn't the first time Nerr had been fitted for armor, but it was the first time she'd heard the blast of bellows and striking of hammers while doing so. The guild master reminded her unpleasantly of Iago, but Camilla had nothing but good things to say about him, informing her sister(s) that every member of the royal family had their armor crafted by this particular guild.

 

“Indeed. I believe it was my young apprentice who fitted you... four years ago, I believe?” A man around Xander's age whom she assumed was the apprentice was setting a newly polished helm onto the counter. She'd have barely noticed him, with his plain features and short cropped hair, had he not glanced in her direction with unusually cold eyes.

“I suppose.” It was a grim reminder that there were many, _many_ people in Nohr who were not pleased with her return, many still who wished the rumors they must have heard of her death were true.

“That was simple practice armor, your brother prince told us. Now... now, we craft a suit that shall lead you to victory against the Hoshidans!” Azura ground her teeth so hard Nerr could hear her, turning away as both Nohrians fixed her with a hard stare. If this doddering old fool thought her still firmly on Nohr's side, all the better for it. Camilla smiled widely at Nerr.

“You'll look stunning, darling. We'll get you a suit just like mine, with our crest embossed on the gorget--”

 

“No.”

“What?”

“My armor will look nothing like yours, sister. I need protection, not attention. And embossing takes too long. That.” She pointed at a plain back cuirass hung from the wall. “That's what I want.” The old man looked followed her finger, frowning deeply.

“That's what we make for peasant foot soldiers, milady--”

“Well, now you'll make it for a princess. And I suggest you expedite the process, because I need it in about two weeks.” He sputtered, claiming it would take longer than that to cast a new suit of plate, but she would not be swayed. He could easily take half-completed pieces and adjust them to fit her.

 

“You know a lot about armor, Nerr.” Azura mused quietly when they left, the bell above the door tinkling lightly.

“Armor is as much a part of a soldier--”

“--as a sword and an arm.” Nerr looked up, her sore lips turning down as she noticed her retainer reaching above her to hold the door for them. The singer didn't seem nearly as displeased to see him.

“What are you doing here, Sir Gunther?”

“Getting my armor recast, Lady Azura. I've lost more than a few plates these last few months, and considering where we're going, I'd rather not take any chances.”

“Don't you think this is perhaps outside your... price range?” Camilla's smile couldn't hide the derision in her voice.

 

“I've been a patron here since before your mother's womb existed, milady. My tab is paid by the king's treasury just the same as yours. The only difference is I've earned mine.” Any veneer of civility was washed away in a surge of anger.

“You impudent--!”

“Let's go, Camilla.” She continued walking as her sister gaped at her.

“You can't just let him talk like that, Nerr! Next he'll be speaking to _you_ any kind of way! He's a _peasant!_ ”

“Is he?” She asked wryly. “That's what he told me, but I wouldn't know. He could be a duke or a prince and I'd have no idea.” Slowly, Gunther released the door, letting it close (very nearly on Camilla's face). He took a step back to better look at his liege, his brows furrowed slightly.

 

“Is something the matter, Lady Nerr?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so upset? Surely this isn't because of that boy? I know it must have been a painful realization, but it was a decade ago now. We did it just so you would stop crying... It was only a little lie--” She whirled about on her heel, the pain in her back fueling her anger.

“I know it was 'a little lie'! That's what makes it so infuriating! Lying about who I am, where I'm from- _that's_ something I can understand lying about! But _this?!_ That you would lie about something so insignificant, that you would make me doubt my own memories... it makes me wonder what else you lie about?” Gunther laughed humorlessly.

“It wasn't just me, my lady. Everyone has been lying--”

 

“But you're _BETTER THAN THEM_ _!!_ ” Her face felt like she had just been slapped again as the corners of her mouth stretched, but that wasn't why her heart was pounding. Three pairs of eyes stared at her, all of them taller than her, making her feel even smaller than she was. But she would not cower, not now. Not when she was in the right. Not when she already knew she would never hear the end of this. It took a moment for her to calm her breathing enough to speak clearly, her mind awhirl with anger and disappointment and humiliation. “I don't care that everyone else has lied to me. I trust you so much more than them, Gunther. I hold you to such a higher standard... I've known you longer than anyone else in my life; I trust you completely and blindly... and for what? You aren't even honest with me about the simplest of things.” She turned away again. “...everyone is right... People who know me only as a rumor know me better than I know myself. 'Chosen One'... I'm nothing but a stupid child...”

 

She could hear the clacking of heels, hear both Camilla and Gunther call out for her to stop, but she continued walking as quickly as she could without running, staring straight ahead without seeing. Her eyes burned as fiercely as her cuts, but the humiliation and betrayal hurt so much worse. She was acting like a petulant child, she knew, but could not contain what boiled within her. Xander was right. She did suffer from an excess of emotion. She had made it back to the inn, climbed the first flight of stairs before realizing she had been closely followed. Stopping, she turned, frowning at the doubled over form of Azura three steps below her.

 

“Were you running after me this whole time?”

“Yes.” The songstress gasped. “Bad things tend to happen when you run off.”

“So you've styled yourself as my new retainer?” Inhaling deeply one final time, Azura straightened.

“Gods, no. Your retainers are miserable.” Nerr dug her nails deep into her palms to stay her tongue, continuing up to her room. The other woman followed her, clearly knowing her presence wasn't welcome but pushing her luck any way. “That was quite an outburst. Do you want to talk about it?”

“There is nothing to talk about. Especially not to _you_.” The other girl stopped following her, though her voice, high and clear, could probably be heard throughout the entirety of the building.

 

“Quite the martyr, aren't you?” The Nohrian princess stopped again, backing down the steps until she stood on the same one as Azura. Despite the singer being a good inch or two taller than her, she did not _seem_ taller. Indeed, as crimson eyes stared her down, she backed away slightly, only one step lower, but that was enough.

“You think I postulate myself as a martyr?” The blunette swallowed hard, but did not waver. Nerr had to give credit where credit was due; she'd made stronger men than this waif look away.

“I do. Not on the battlefield. Not for any grand cause. But for silly nonsense.” The other woman remained silent, her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth as the seconds dragged on.

“...who is it, then?” Azura blinked, clearly confused by this apparent non-sequitur.

 

“Who is what?”

“The lucky person _you_ would kill for. That _you_ would die for. The person you exist for, and whom you would give up everything for.”

“I-I don't--”

“No. No, of course you don't. I know you don't, because if you _did_ it wouldn't be 'silly nonsense' to you. If you'd ever felt anything for anyone, you'd have an inkling of empathy, but you haven't. You don't know why I do and say the things I do any more than I know why you are the way you are.” She began ascending the stairs once more, had made it to the top of the landing when Azura called out to her once again, her voice softer this time.

“I'd like to.” A quick glance revealed the singer hadn't moved. She called out again. “I'd like to know why you do what you do.”

 

“...why?”

“Because we're the same, at least in how unique we are. Because if we are to unite Hoshido and Nohr against a common enemy, we need them to see what they have in common. ...they have us in common. A Nohrian princess who knows little of Nohr, and a Hoshidan princess who knows nothing of Hoshido. We can learn from one another, and they can learn from us. And...” Azura looked down, her expression almost abashed. “I'd just like to get to know you a little better.” Nerr regarded the other princess for a long time, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Then here's your first lesson; either learn to wield a sword, or learn to not test a Nohrian's patience.” A tiny smile, just a quirk of her lip that was there and gone again crossed Azura's face.

 

“And yet, we've been trying your patience since you met us.”

“Indeed. And that's one of the first things you should know about me. I hold grudges. I spent nearly a decade embroiled in a feud with my brother.”

“Which one?”

“Leo.”

“Over what?”

“He dared me to jump off the second story landing. Unfortunately for us both, I play chicken for keeps and didn't appreciate him goading me into breaking both legs.”

 

It wasn't how she'd intended to spend the remainder of her day, but speaking with Azura wasn't nearly as infuriating as she'd expected it to be. As long as she kept her mouth shut about... unpleasant things, she was a dry wit that reminded Nerr of Leo. And as much as she and her younger brother butted heads, she always appreciated his intelligence. Of course, the singer knew absolutely nothing of Hoshido's military (Yuugiri was the person to talk to about that), having spent her time in Mikoto's court rather than in the training grounds, but that too provided invaluable knowledge. The Hoshidans favored a calculating, duplicitous (her word, not Azura's) way of dealing with issues, rather than the swift, often overtly bloody manner Nohrians were known for. Calculating was not the word she'd have used for Ryouma, unless he'd thought he was being clever ordering her execution five minutes into their first meeting. She had just been about to bring that up when a knock on the door gave her pause.

 

“Milady?” She let out a sigh of relief, inviting Jakob in. He beamed at her, carrying a tray laden with tea, vulneraries, and bandages which he set on her nightstand. “Time for another round of healing, Lady Nerr.” She groaned, wishing she could slouch down in her seat, but fearful of tearing her stitches.

“Ugh. Gods, why is it taking so long?” She could understand the wound she'd received in Mokushuu not healing; the one time she'd encountered a wyrmslayer before then, even with gloves her hands had been riddled with blisters for a week. Clearly she was allergic to them. But this? Simple steel weapons? She should have stopped bleeding the moment she started.

 

“I'm afraid I don't know, milady. Perhaps it's my fault. Perhaps I had grown so accustomed to you healing on your own that I neglected my training...” He trailed off, frowning deeply as he reached for the dressing on her face. “Why are you bleeding?” She glared at Azura, who quickly looked away, her cheeks tinged pink.

“...I said too much.” It was hard to state what was more uncomfortable, the cold air hitting her damp wound, or the way the linen stuck it, peeling away slowly. Jakob smiled slightly.

“Well, it _is_ healing much faster than that damned wyrmslayer cut... unfortunately, it looks like it going to leave a scar at this rate.” His expression turned dour as he began dabbing it with a vulneray soaked cloth. “Damned old man's going to get his wish; gods know he aimed for your face often enough...”

 

That... wasn't a lie. Gunther _did_ often aim for her face when they trained, leaving her with split lips and black eyes and once even a chipped tooth (it was only a baby tooth, but still). To flinch, to lose one's focus, was to lose one's life. He vowed he'd keep at it until she no longer flinched. It filled her chest with warmth for all of about two seconds before an angry chill took it's place. Or maybe he just liked hitting a royal in the face. Azura's words from early drifted lazily in her mind, _Your retainers are miserable_... She looked up at Jakob, really looked at him. He was smiling again, but it was an absent minded smile. There were dark circles under his eyes that, with his gray hair, made him look so much older than his scant twenty two years. She always thought he was happy in her service, or at least content, but she had assumed the same about her knight when in reality, it seemed he was an angry, bitter man beneath that stoic countenance. Miserable...

 

“I think we're done for today, Azura.” The blunette blinked.

“What? I thought--”

“Whatever you thought, you can think fresh in the morning. We'll speak again then.” For a split second it looked like she might argue, but her face quickly returned to it's neutral state and she nodded, getting to her feet. She closed the door quietly behind her, with a soft, barely audible click. Jakob watched her go, bemused.

“Is something the matter, milady?”

“Are you unhappy, Jakob?”

“...what?!”

 

“Be honest with me. Are you unhappy?”

“...well...” The steward sighed, setting down the pink stained cloth and picking up a linen pad to press against her cheek. “I can't say the past few months have been particularly _fun_. When we first left the Citadel, I'd assumed we'd be staying in Krakenburg, at least until the war began in full. And even then, I thought we'd have things like tents, and food--”

“That's not what I mean.” She reached up, placing her hand over his as she looked deep into his eyes. In the gloom of a room with it's heavy drapes drawn, lit only with candles, the dark indigo looked almost black. “Are you unhappy because of _me?_ ”

“No!” He answered so quickly he clearly didn't even think on his answer.

 

“Don't pay me lip service. Think--”

“I don't _need_ to think! I know. You are the kindest, most wonderful liege I could ever hope to serve. You are brave and loyal and honorable, and I am grateful and happy to attach myself to your name.” Nerr stared at him, tears dripping from her eyes as she blinked.

“I don't even know if I think of you as a person outside of 'my retainer'. I've never even asked you about your life before we met...” She could barely muster a whisper, her throat tight with shame.

 

“That's because I _had_ no life before you, Lady Nerr.” He said, his voice raw with emotion and a vehement sincerity. “Parents who loathed my very existence, who wouldn't bat an eye if I'd been sent to a workhouse to wither and die with the orphans and guttersnipes? A house so cold and wicked, they would rather have their name die than show a scrap of affection to their only son? Should I be sentimental for those things?” He knelt before her, taking her hands into his own and pressed his lips to her still-gloved fingers. “You gave me a home. A family. A significance to my existence. So I assure you that I am _very_ happy.” Her tears fells harder and faster as she tried to blink them away.

 

“...are you lying to me?”

“No.”

“How do I know that? How do I know you aren't like Flora, and Gunther, and Xander--”

“Because I'm _not_ like them, my lady. I owe you my life. I'd be dead were it not for you. You saved me from a very dark place.”

“A dark place...” She murmured to herself. A cold, dark place where there was only pain and sorrow and hunger, until the heavy door opened and brought light and warmth... She thought Jakob's words would make her feel better. They usually did; he usually knew exactly what to say to reassure her, to bolster her confidence or ease her nerves... but this time, even though he said everything he was supposed to, she felt no better.

000

 

She forced herself to join the others for dinner that night, rather than stuffing her mouth with bread, taking her sleeping potion, and passing out as she usually did. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to eat with them- she had, somehow, grown accustomed to the noise and proximity of eating with a large group. It reminded her almost of how she always imagined meals in Krakenburg were. She simply... didn't want to eat. At all. The thick smell of garlic and pork and polenta turned her stomach. Back home, she'd have all but inhaled her meal before she even sat.

 

“Nerr? What is it, dearest? You aren't eating.” Camilla, who had been in the process of scraping half of her own bowl into her sister's, stopped.

“I'm not that hungry.” She took the older woman's bowl from her, transferring her share of the food (and a bit extra) back into it. From beside her, Elise chirped with laughter.

“ 'Not hungry'! That's a good one; I'm going to use that!”

“Maybe if we had something that actually resembled _food_ , she'd have more of an appetite...” Takumi groused, poking at his studinetz with his fork, her frown growing more pronounced as it jiggled. “It looks like something Kagerou would sculpt and call a rabbit.”

“I-is that what we're eating? Rabbit?” Sakura asked quietly, a tiny bite hovering between her plate and mouth.

 

“It's pork! Don't you know what pork tastes like?” Elise asked, trying to sound haughty but failing as she sprayed the table with flecks of food. Azura, who had been eating hesitantly but all the same, stopped, looked at her own fork, and set it down.

“No.”

“Aw, c'mon. It's not salt pork.” Shura teased from the far end of the table. The singer covered her mouth.

“If anyone says the word 'pork' again, I'm going to vomit.” Camilla clucked her tongue.

“What a shame. All those years wasting away in Hoshido killed your tongue, poor thing. I suppose it was the only way of surviving a diet of rice and... rice. We need to teach you what _real_ food tastes like again.” It was noisy. Not unpleasantly so- it almost reminded her of Shura's ship, but without the calming rocking of the waves, waves that could wash over them like a battalion of soldiers, miserable men in _dark, dark places_...

 

“Lady Nerr?” She started, unaware of how close she had come to falling face first into her bowl. Looking around, almost everyone was regarding her with a confused, if not concerned, expression, though it had been Gunther far across the table from her who had called out. Her cheeks burned, all the way to her ears as their stares persisted.

“...what? What are you all looking at? Haven't you ever seen a person fall asleep at dinner?” They all remained silent for a long while. It wasn't until Sakura spoke up, her voice a quiet squeak, that the attention turned away from Nerr.

 

“M-mother did that once... After she came back from Hayawara...”

“I remember that!” Takumi exclaimed, smiling widely. “She just keeled over at the table. Ryouma was freaking out.”

“H-he wasn't the only one...”

“It was scary, okay!?” Camilla regarded them quietly, not quite wearing a frown, but an indeterminable expression.

“So the Hoshidan empress was the kind of woman who'd fall asleep at the drop of a hat? Heh. _That_ sounds familiar.” Nerr pointedly looked away as her sister grinned at her. The elder princess continued, twirling a long curl around her finger. “I suppose it must be a Hoshidan thing. No Nohrian would be able to fall asleep _that_ easily.”

 

“...I _am_ a Nohrian.” The teal-haired girl seethed bitterly. Camilla backtracked at once.

“I-I know, dearest. I only meant--”

“I know what you meant.” She got to her feet, downing what remained of her wine and pushing her chair in roughly, the legs scraping across the floor. “Talk about me all you want, I'm going to sleep.” She _did_ know what her sister meant, she mused as she took the long journey back to her quarters. She wasn't Nohrian, she had never been. It was a fact, one that even she couldn't dispute anymore. And yet she did. Because it hurt. It hurt that no one saw her as she saw herself. She could accept her Hoshidan blood, but she was Nohrian through and through. The dark flowed through her veins, glory and conquest were what she was born for. She stopped a passing maid, asking the woman to send hot water up to her room. They would be leaving for the Chasm in a week's time, traveling north through _true_ winter. This would be the last time she'd have a chance to experience the luxuries in life, and she wanted them imprinted in her mind to ensure she never again took them for granted.

 

She paced the tiny wash room as she waited for the water in the tub to cool. Normally, she'd have gladly sunk into the steaming bath, letting the heat soak into her bones, but with her still raw back, it would be absolutely unbearable. Nerr walked over to the window, the only real source of light in the room. It wasn't even the light of the stars and moon that she would have seen in the Citadel. A dull haze born of the thousands of orange lights from windows and street lamps covered the city, dyeing the normally dark sky a sickly green. She dragged her finger across the glass, cutting a trail through it's fogged surface. King Garon loved coming to this city with it's ugly sky. That was one of the few things she knew about the man she'd called “Father” for fifteen years. He was cold, cared little for her, and loved the opera.

 

All of her siblings had come here with him, all of them told her how wonderful the performers were, how moving their songs... Even Leo, who rarely displayed overt excitement over... anything, really, could hardly contain his enthusiasm when he came back from his first trip to the performance capital of Nohr. It had always been her dream to come, to see the things she had been told of first hand. She knew so many of the songs. Gunther taught her every single melody he knew, and he knew all of them. A perfect memory for lyrics coupled with the worst voice for them... Maybe Azura could teach him. He certainly _liked_ music; he was the one who instilled her with her own love of it. Maybe actually learning to sing in tune for once would make him happy...

 

“ _Beneath dark clouds and furious waves,_ _You slipped to the bottom of the sea, and I saved you that day...”_

 

She whispered under her breath. Ondine's Lament... that was what she wanted to see more than anything. She used to run around the fortress, belting out “Leiden Lied” at the top of her lungs, back when her mind and heart were simple. Sighing, Nerr dragged her feet back over to the tub, running her hand across the water. It was still hot, but if she waited any longer, she'd end up soaking in a cold tub, and despite being so far south, this still wasn't Hoshido. She stripped off her clothes, a new blouse and tights courtesy of Camilla, setting her broken hairpin atop the messily folded pile.

 

She'd missed the days of having more than one set clothes... she'd missed it sorely. Before stepping into the tub, she untied the bandaged holding the plaster onto her back. He had changed it, but Jakob hadn't applied the poultice as he assumed she would bathe before bed. Maybe she could ask Elise to do it in his stead. Her younger sister constantly insisted that she had gotten _sooo_ much better at healing. The water was fine as it covered her legs and behind, fine until she sat down properly and it displaced, rising up her back. Inhaling sharply through her teeth, she leaned forward, curling into herself as she waited for it to cool further.

 

Untying her hair, Nerr tried to pull loose the tangled braids that choked her ponytail. Camilla had combed her hair through a few days ago- the first time it had been properly groomed in months- but alas, the eldest princess of Nohr lacked Flora's miracle working hands, and the whole mess ended up just as untidy as it had been before. Cutting it short would be the pragmatic thing to do, but it had taken so long to grow back to a somewhat decent length after a certain someone had hacked it off while she slept. Idly, she traced the thick, raised line running across her stomach. The soldiers with Xander during the attack had seen what she was. She was positive Garon knew, and if he hadn't found out on his own, Iago would have somehow learned and told him. How many wyrmslayers would be at the Chasm? What if someone aimed one at her throat, or even worse, if a Nohrian who knew how to use a proper blade thrust it into her gut instead of slashing? _'Then I die, I suppose...'_ Hopefully, there would be a chance to speak to Xander before any skirmishes broke out.

 

She could jump into the canyon, go to Valla, then come back to show him it as safe. Even Ryouma wouldn't be able to deny them once they proved why the “Infinite” Chasm was called that. They could rally their troops together, come up with a plan, kill Anankos... they wouldn't even need her. She had no idea what she was doing, aside from wandering around aimlessly and lucking herself into solutions. If she could ensure people who _knew_ what they were doing were in charge, then everything would be fine. Maybe she could help them fight Anankos, serve as cannon fodder. If she had been willing to do it against Hoshidans, what difference did it make whose sword she threw herself onto in the end? As long Nohr got the resources it needed, her life would be well spent. The water had finally cooled to a tolerable temperature (for her back, at least- it was almost enough to make her shiver). Leaning back, scooting further down into the water until only her shoulders and knees stuck out, the draconic princess crooned to herself, her breath sending little ripples across the water.

 

“ _For the first time, I felt loving bliss, And I learned just how heartbreaking love really is...”_

 

...Azura was right about her. She enjoyed making herself suffer. What person in their right mind think of sad music that they knew would only make them feel sadder? Pathetic. So pathetic... Xander had been right; she should have just put her little girl fantasies in the trash where they belonged the night of the fete. She'd had her fun dreaming about silly nonsense, but it wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't fun to think of “what ifs” that only reminded her of a bleak reality. This wasn't even her father or her brother's fault anymore. No one was going to waste their time trying to arrange a marriage for her. No, this was all her own fault. She was acting like a lovesick fool. Even Azura, who'd known her barely more than three months, was getting sick of it, so she could only imagine how annoyed Gunther was with her at this point. She blinked and the water rippled again, tears dripping from her lashes. Weak... No Nohrian would allow them self to be so weak, so pathetic.

 

She would stop wasting her time and energy feeling useless things and focus on the war... like she was supposed to have done two years ago. Closing her eyes, she sank further into the water, letting it cover her mouth. The wine she had drunk at dinner was beginning to work it's way through her veins, making her feel sluggish and heavy. Back in the citadel, she would be able to drink a good half a bottle by herself before even starting to get tipsy. But back then, she would have been well fed and well rested and not waiting for her stupid skin to remember how to pull itself together. With the alcohol warming her blood, she didn't notice the chill of the water as much. It felt less like a cold bath and more like the water in the lake in Hoshido. Azura had said something about using the lake to go to Valla... that's what she had done the first time without even realizing it.

 

The water drew her down, a gentle yet unyielding current pulling her past trees and stone ruins, almost like the ruins they'd passed on their way to the Chasm, the “dead lands” leading to an inky black sky with lightning and no rain and an inky black abyss... _The darkness reached out to her, climbing over the edge of the deep crevasses, clawing itself up with spindly, hairy, insectoid legs and misshapen arms_ _pulling itself across the stone to her, moving faster the further she backed away. In the distance, she could see someone- lots of someones- standing there... not standing. Fighting. Swords clashing. She had to reach them and help even though no blade hung from her sword belt. She turned away from the dark, tried to run, gaining ground as the ground crumbled beneath her feet. There were eyes beneath her, dead eyes, people who died, people who were going to die and it was her fault. She couldn't pull herself up. She couldn't breath as the eyes loomed closer._ _She sank into the darkness, no wind rushing past her, just water, icy water filling up her_ _eye_ _s_ _and ears and nose and mouth and she couldn't breathe and_ she opened here eyes, barely able to see past the dark, swirling tendrils lashing across her face.

 

Her mind was still hazy from her nightmare and without thinking, she gasped, resulting in water and hair being sucked into her throat. How the hell had she fallen asleep in the tub?! She tried to lift herself up... and stayed down. It was only when she began struggling that Nerr realized she hadn't slipped beneath the surface. Something was weighing down on her- some _one_ , a large hand wrapped around her throat, pressing her to the bottom of the tub. Panic gripped her as tight as the finger digging into her neck as she tried to pry it loose. They squeezed tighter, stubby nails tearing her skin as she raked her own nails across any skin she could. She willed her weak, brittle nails to become the claws she knew they concealed, but she couldn't focus on transforming when every cell in her body was screaming for air. She reached up, trying to find the body attached to the arm. Trying to push it away. She kicked. Punched. Did everything she could to free herself, using up air she didn't have. She couldn't see with her hair obscuring her vision, a dark, murky red further darkening the water as she thrashed. Was this one of Anankos' monsters? Had he tired of her pitiful attempts to stop him and sent not an army but a single assassin to kill her? Would he go after the others? Camilla? Elise? Oh gods. Please no...

 

Her lungs could bear no more, despite her most desperate attempt to hold her breath, her body would not acknowledge that it could not breathe. She inhaled, water flooding into her nose, down her throat, choking her as she suffocated. She retched, choking more. It reminded her of a nightmare she'd had a child, so long ago she barely remembered it. Hidden away amongst the memories of a cold, dark cell was that fearful dream of a hand around her neck, squeezing, squeezing until she was sure her head would pop off. It burned. It didn't seem possible with the water as cold as it was, but it burned unlike anything else as she continued trying to breathe in, everything growing dimmer as she did so. Her heart hammered in her chest. Burning. Her throat, her nose, her eyes. Burning.

 

She couldn't feel her arms as they fell back down, only heard the thump as they hit the side of the tub, splashing back in. The almost complete darkness became absolute. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until she awoke, just barely, a suggestion of consciousness. Large hands wrapped around her chest, probably to crush her heart and lungs and make sure she was dead. She began fading out again as a loud rushing sound all but deafened her. It was colder, her limbs flopping about like limp rags. She was aware of it for all of a minute before the darkness came flooding back. Pain cut through it this time, a heavy blow to her chest, enough to fracture her ribs. Burning in her chest as her lungs were inflated, air filling her mouth and throat until it could be filled no more, she was going to explode. The pressure stopped and she coughed, retching and gagging on the water she spewed out. Everything hurt so much. Someone leaned her to the side, as she gagged again, water and bile splashing onto the smooth stone floor beneath her. She'd have collapsed face first into her own vomit had that same someone not lifted her up.

 

“Oh, thank the gods!” Something warm wrapped around her, digging painfully into her back, but she didn't care. With her head pounding and struggling to fully regain consciousness, it took her a long, long time to realize what was going on around her. She was cold and wet, on a cold wet floor, crushed against something dry and warm. She could see a soft purple out of the corner of her eye, squeezed too tight to actually move her head. “My poor little ladyship...”

 

She leaned closer to the source of warmth, shivering from both the chill and exhaustion. She wanted to speak, but her throat was raw, her rapid, shallow breaths still punctuated by coughs. Thoughts flowed through her mind, ebbing before she could focus on them, but one managed to remain long enough. The hand on her throat. It belonged to someone, and the threat could have still be there, waiting to spring on the others. She tried to organize her fears into concise, coherent words, but her mouth had a different ideas, merely spluttering,

 

“C-c-cold...” She must have looked and felt like a large, stubborn dog as Gunther set about picking her up, limbs limp and simply falling into whatever space wasn't occupied. Nerr wanted to stand under her own strength, she wanted to walk around and find who had dared put their hand on her throat and rip theirs out as compensation, but she could barely support her own head. With her legs lifted out from under her, she simply fell against him, hair sticking to her face and his shirt and clinging to her eyelashes and making it hard to see. But she _could_ see, namely the heap on the floor she hadn't noticed and probably wouldn't have noticed had she not wrenched her head that way, trying to pull the irritating strands from her mouth. It looked like a pile of wet clothes until she saw the head and hands and realized there was someone _in_ those clothes.

 

Bleary as her vision was, she could see that the one eye facing up was still blinking rapidly, darting about, but there was no other movement. She stared at the body until she was taken from the room and could no longer crane her neck enough to see. Her room, though barely more than lukewarm, felt like a veritable hothouse against her chilled skin, especially as her retainer swaddled her in all the blankets piled atop her bed. He sat beside her, pulling her hair back from her face, muttering to himself, a ceaseless mantra of “Oh gods oh gods oh gods”. His fingers were shaking. His breathing ragged. Face pale. He looked worse than she felt. Clutching the comforters tighter around herself, Nerr tried to control her chattering teeth.

 

“G-Gunther--” She barely had time to eek out his name as he once more drew her in a bone crushing embrace. She could feel blood seeping down her back, but that was the furthest thing from her mind now.

“I'm so sorry, my lady! This is all my fault!”

“...were-- were _you_ the one holding me under...?”

“What?! _NO!_ ” She sighed wearily, leaning further into him. Her ear rested against his chest. She could hear his heart, muted but beating frantically.

 

“Then it's-- it's not your fault.”

“But it _is!_ ” He pulled back, staring at her, his eyes darting between each of her hears as though he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye directly. “I should have checked on you so much sooner. I shouldn't have let you leave my sight. I have one duty, one purpose, and I couldn't even fulfill _that!_ ” Anger, fear, misery all reached a crescendo in his voice, and he slumped forward, hanging his head. “I almost didn't even come in. I told myself I should just leave you be since you find my presence taxing. I would neglect my duty in favor of sulking like petulant-fucking-child!” She flinched at his sharp tone, but his anger wasn't directed at her. Like so many times before, it seemed aimed at something only he could see and hear, as though she wasn't even there. “I swore I wouldn't let this happen again... and yet, I did. I thought you were dead... How could I live if you were dead...?!”

 

He looked small. Despite being a heavily built ox of a man, he curled in on himself as he spoke, looking small and weak in his unhappiness. She remembered her own hands shaking uncontrollably as she watched him fall into the Chasm, fully believing the darkness consuming him was a death sentence. Nerr remembered how hard it was to breathe, to see, to think as dread unlike anything she'd ever known before overtook her mind. Her silly, childish thoughts and feelings fell to the wayside as this time, she pulled him in for a hug. Her arms felt like jelly and the pain in her temples had yet to subside, but none of that was important.

 

“I know.” She whispered. There were no more assurances that he wasn't at fault, or that she was fine because those things didn't matter. They hadn't mattered when she had been beside herself with grief, and they hadn't mattered when she learned her grief had been for naught and he had been alright all along. No amount of “it's okay” or “it's not your fault” had made _her_ feel better, and she doubted it would have any profound effect on Gunther. Still, she couldn't help but try to lighten his mood. “I'm not dead, though. You know it takes more than some third rate assassin to spell the end of me.”

 

“Yet they keep trying...” He muttered, his voice muffled by the thick cloth on her shoulder. She frowned. Yes... they did try. She had vague, half-formed memories of a dark figure slinking into her room as a child and learning days later the king had come out personally as a result. It made her feel a bit sick to suddenly realize that her would-be “assassin” had probably been a Hoshidan soldier tasked to bring her back to her birth family. If he had succeeded... there would have been no war. She'd have grown up in warm, sunny Hoshido... Without her brothers and sisters. Without her servants. Without Gunther... Her fingers curled into his shirt.

 

“I'm sorry.” Rather bloodshot violet eyes glanced up at her.

“For what?”

“For... everything. I'd have noticed there was someone waiting to kill me if I hadn't been lost in my thoughts, and I wouldn't have been lost in my thoughts if I wasn't such a thoughtless idiot. I always hate that you treat me like a little child, but it's no wonder you do; I'm so gods damn stupid! I'm surprised I can go to the toilet on my own without wandering off a cliff!” As her words came out faster and faster, she sent herself into another coughing fit. The older man thumped her between the shoulder blades, lightly but still enough to make her irritated skin sting. Panting roughly, she tried to catch her breath. “You said... you said you didn't want to check on me because you thought I'd be mad at you. ...and you're right. I would have been. But not because of anything you've done. You haven't done anything wrong, Gunther. Everything is just so terrible, and I've taken it out on you. I'm so sorry... I hate this...”

 

She trailed off in a whisper, her voice breaking. Her nose was running and her eyes burned and she probably looked like a drowned rat, but given how close she had come to potentially dying, she felt like all those things could be forgiven. Even Xander, she believed, would forgive her this excess of emotion as she had just inelegantly slipped past the cold hand of death. She wiped her face on the covers, feeling as though her head might explode. As her retainer straightened, he didn't look so pathetic anymore. Maybe it was a trade off. In so small a room, maybe there was only enough space for one absolutely wretched being at a time.

 

“You're mad because I lied to you, yes?”

“No. ...yes. But you were right; everybody lies to everybody, even to me, and it's dumb and I'm dumb...” She muttered, rubbing her temples. Gunther gripped her wrists, setting them down as he set to massaging slow, methodical circles at her hairline.

“You wanted honesty from me? Then I'll give you honesty. ...I am a horrible, cruel, evil man, my lady.” She blinked and laughed weakly, waiting for the punchline. It didn't come. His face looked as severe as always.

“...you? Cruel? We're both speaking about the same _you_ , yes? The man who taught me to read and bake bread and who used to let me ride him like a pony?”

 

“You have known me not even two decades, Lady Nerr. That is barely a quarter of the life I've lived. I have done things that would put your nightmares to shame. My hands have known... so much blood...” He sighed, pausing in his ministrations. Those hands had begun to tremble again. “When I was sent to discipline you when you were first brought to Nohr, I had no intention of hesitating. I could have killed you without even realizing it, and being the kind of person I was, I wouldn't have batted an eye. I'm not better than anyone. I'm not even better than Garon or Hans. I have lied to you. So much. ...because I'm not a good person, my lady. And I didn't want you to know that.”

 

They lapsed into silence as Gunther began rubbing her temples again. She knew that he had killed people during the last war. Lots of people. His stories about what happened on the battlefield had been awe-inspiring as long as she didn't think too hard on what that horror must have actually looked like. Nerr stared hard into her retainer's face. She didn't see the cold, unyielding callousness of Garon, or hear the maniacal, sadistic laughter of Hans... She only saw the strong hands that picked her up whenever she fell. Only heard the kind words that assured her she was worthwhile. Even amidst the harsh lines and deep valleys that were only exaggerated in his misery, she could see the smile that always made her feel warm and bright as though she'd swallowed the sun. That was what she remembered most about that cold, dark room.

 

“I don't care what kind of person you think you were.” She whispered past the lump in her throat. “I only care about the man _I_ know. And he is good, and gentle, and wonderful.” Gunther scoffed, a wry laugh.

“You always see the best in people, my lady...”

“Don't flatter me.” She snapped bitterly. “I don't 'see the best' in anyone. The last time I tried to, I was kidnapped and a war started. I see the best in _you_.” _'Because I'm a selfish person...'_ She pushed that thought deep into the pit of her stomach where it couldn't bother her anymore. The knight smiled in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“I'm certain you meant that as a bad thing, but it makes me happy regardless. I know how little you care for the idea of fate, but I wholeheartedly believe it was fate that led me to you, Lady Nerr because- if you'll allow me to be honest- you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.” She roughly pushed his hands away from her head, feeling like she'd just been socked in the gut.

 

“What bollocks is this?”

“Only the most sincere kind. You've made me very happy, my lady, and hopeful, and have given me something to think about other than my wrongs and loathing. And... I love you more than I have any right to.” Nerr stared at him for a long time, his words lingering in the air between them before falling to the ground, like sharp little needles waiting to tear her to shreds if she made a misstep.

“Is this a joke?” She asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “Because it's not a very good one.” Gunther frowned, reaching for her hands.

 

“No. It's not. You were upset that I wasn't honest with you. So I'm being honest. I can use rudimentary magic, I almost killed that boy for running off with you to the middle of nowhere, I love you so much it makes me physically ill sometimes-- I _despise_ the color orange; I can't state that part enough. Is that enough for you, Lady Nerr?” He squeezed her hands tighter. Had there not been thicker bones and long claws hidden beneath her fragile human skin, he might have broken them. He didn't even seem to notice how hard he was gripping them. “Do you need more? Should I tell you how I wept after my first battle- and for months thereafter? Or that I was terrified of chickens as a child, or that I absolutely _abhor_ every single high born person I've ever laid eyes on? I will lay what remains of my soul bare for you if that's what it takes for you to not be so upset any more.” He released her hands suddenly, the fervent gleam in his eyes dulling as an air of melancholy overcame him once more. “...I don't need your trust, my lady. I _want_ it, I want it as badly as I want your love, but I don't _need_ either of those things. If you utterly despise me now and never want to lay eyes on me again, I could just as easily protect you from the far side of the continent. I _need_ you to be happy. And if I am the cause of your unhappiness, just tell me what to do to change that and it will be done.”

 

Nerr stared in at him in complete silence for a long time, the quiet pressing into her ears until she could hear her own pulse. Was he lying? He had to be lying. This was some kind of trick; he was waiting to see if she would respond positively so he could rap his lance across her knuckles and remind her of the impropriety. That _had_ to be what was going on. But even if it was, it didn't change the way her ribs seemed to cave in on themselves, squeezing her stomach and lungs and heart and leaving her breathless and dizzy. Gunther grabbed her before she could pitch forward.

 

“My lady?!”

“If you're lying to me, I'll murder you...” She whined, aware that her weak, cracking voice carried all of the threat of a baby bird's squawks. “If you could be that cruel, and toy with a gentle maiden's heart, then you _are_ a monster and I'll eat you, I swear to the gods!”

“...'gentle maiden'?”

“It's not funny!” But it was, wasn't it? She almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of it all, but the sound died on her tongue as tears dripped off her chin. “...I should be so happy right now. For years, I've dreamed that my life could be like a fairytale... that a brave knight in shining armor would fall in love with me and sweep me away... but I'm not. What's wrong with me, Gunther? Why aren't I jumping for joy and elated like I wanted to be?” He smoothed her hair back, letting his fingers ghost along her jaw as he lowered his hand.

 

“Well, someone _did_ just try to kill you. That generally puts a damper on one's mood. I remember the first time someone tried to kill me... It was decades before I truly smiled again.” The very idea of feeling like _this_ for another lifetime was enough to make her throw up in her mouth.

“I don't want that...!”

“You'll be fine, my lady. I promise you. Despite everything that has happened since you were brought to Nohr, _you_ always managed to smile again. I think that might be what I love most about you.”

 

Her cheeks burned furiously as he got to his feet, heading back into the washroom. It was so surreal, like she was dreaming, floating above herself and watching the events unfold as though it was being played out by actors. Maybe she _was_ dreaming. Maybe she was dead and a ghost and this was some horrid purgatory. Jumping to her feet, Nerr half collapsed, her legs still weak and uncooperative. Half the covers fell off as she stumbled over them, leaning heavily in the doorway. There was more water on the floor than left in the tub. The window had been pushed open, the wooden panes splintered where they had been pried apart. Gunther kicked her assailant over onto his back. He wasn't blinking anymore, eyes half open, jaw slack.

 

“Oh. He's dead now. Good.”

“You killed him just now?”

“No, I snapped his neck earlier. Sometimes they don't die right away. Sometimes, they don't die at all.” The knight stated plainly as he grabbed the man's ankles, dragging him over to the window. He looked young, with short cropped blonde hair and plain features. It reminded her of the soldiers she had seen serving as guards in Windmire, or...

 

“I... I think I recognize him. I think that's the blacksmith's apprentice.” The dread solidified in her veins like ice. That someone she had seen earlier in the day could come at night and try to snuff out her life... Whimpering, Nerr slid down the door framed, huddled tightly in her blanket. Gunther looked back her, his gaze softer though his brow remained furrowed in anger.

“You should not be surprised, my lady. There will _always_ be those who would see you dead, even if it were not due to some misplaced sense of national pride.”

“He fitted me for my training armor. He was going to be working on my new suit. And now he's dead.”

“Better him than you. And he _was_ still breathing when I pulled you out. Not that it matters to me- this was my plan all along.” He roughly shoved the limp body back out the window. Nerr could just barely hear a faint thump and winced. She didn't particularly feel sorry for anyone who tried to murder her in cold blood, but the thought of a body hitting the ground, bones shattering, skulls crushing... She preferred the clean death given by a blade.

 

“What if someone finds him?”

“What if? Would-be thieves fall from ledges and roofs all the time.” She could just imagine Camilla bursting in, face white with horror as she took in the scene. Elise and Jakob would never leave her side. She'd never escape it, as though this one brush with death was so much worse than all the many, many others. She drew the blanket closer around her neck, only just realizing that her clothes still lay on the floor, soaking wet now. No wonder she was cold, but she knew that guilt and dread in no small part assed to her chill.

“I don't want to tell anyone...”

“Why not? Surely it would be better to let the others know that there was an attempt made on your life? Especially by someone so close to home?”

 

“You said yourself this isn't an uncommon thing, Gunther. There are plenty of people who want me dead. Garon does. Iago does. Hoshidans and Nohrians who think I'm a traitor do. Worrying my sisters isn't going to stop them, especially when they just have to wait until I step onto the battlefield.” She pursed her lips, waiting for her retainer to tell her that was stupid and he was marching downstairs right now to tell everyone that she'd almost drowned in her own damn tub.

“I suppose you have a point.” ...that was a funny way of pronouncing “you're wrong”. “Assassinations were carried out in Krakenburg, the most well fortified, well armed place in all of Nohr, all the time. Additional guards didn't do anything to stop them. But I hope you realize, my lady, that I won't be allowing you from my sight for a single moment any more.”

“What about when I use the toilet?”

“What about it?” For the first time in what felt like a good, long while, Nerr laughed. It wasn't a very strong laugh, and she had no doubt that it hadn't been a joke, but the absurdity of it made her smile.

 

“If anyone but you had said that, I would be very upset and disgusted.”

“So I'm the exception to the rule?” Her smile slid from her lips, but not because her mood had soured. She swallowed.

“Yes. You're the exception to a lot of rules.” It was terrifying to speak so plainly. Her stomach felt like it was trying to digest itself out of embarrassment. But at the same time, it kind of made her feel better... in the same way vomiting after a hangover made her feel better by letting out everything disgusting so her head would stop hurting. “If anyone else saw me in half the states you have, I think I'd have died of shame long ago. I mean, you've changed my sheets after I wet the bed; I think we've passed the point of 'boundaries' a long time ago.” Gunther, who had been picking up her clothes, paused, looking over at her.

 

“Then... if I may ask, why do you always seem so uncomfortable around me?” She released her grip on the covers, instead tugging at her frizzled hair in frustration.

“Because when I let my mind wander I start thinking about how much I like you and I get stomach-flies and I thought if you knew that you would get sick of me and--”

“...Lady Nerr, you're rambling.” She gasped for breath, trying to slow down enough to untangle her convoluted thoughts.

“...things have changed between us. My feelings have only grown stronger throughout the years, but so often it feels as though you've reached the limit of your patience with me. I don't want to be a burden on you...” With her wet clothes draped over his arm, Gunther walked over to her, bending down to pull her to her feet. Tugging the flaps of the coverlet back together as he turned her around, he directed her back to the bed. She collapsed onto it immediately, curling up into a tight ball as he stretched her things out across the chairs and table.

 

“What exactly do you think has changed, my lady?”

“Everything. You stopped letting me come to your room when I had nightmares, and you stopped hugging me, and even the way you spoke to me was different, and then Xander told me that Father was going to marry me off to some horrid noble and...” And it hurt. “And it felt like you were getting sick of me. And over the past few months, it's only felt more like that. I told myself it's fine if you don't love me... I just don't want you to hate me.” He approached the bed, kneeling beside it to be at her eye level.

“I could never hate you, my lady. Under no circumstances would I ever feel anything but the most absolute love and devotion for you.” Her throat tightened. She wanted to say something like 'I feel the same', but the words tangled on her tongue.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

“I was planning on keeping watch anyways.” He said, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his lips.

 

“Will you sleep with me?” She paused, realizing what that might denote, and elaborated. “I mean, will you lay down next to me? Like you used to when I couldn't sleep.” Gunther's eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

 _“Oh._ Oh, yes, of course. For a moment I thought you meant...” He trailed off. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was slightly flushed. The thought of it made her grin weakly.

“No, not today. Almost dying has a detrimental effect on one's libido...”

“That it does...” He pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, rubbing his knees. “Though in that case, I believe her ladyship should put on something more substantial than a blanket.”

“But I don't want to...” She groused. She was worn down to the bone, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Something as simple as sitting up seemed like a herculean task that she wasn't up to. The knight walked over to the stool which her sword leaned against, grabbing a dark gray tunic and tossing it onto her face.

 

“If you wish for me to lie chastely with you, my lady, you need to get dressed. Otherwise, who knows how I might press my advantage...?” She could hear the smile in his voice. It reminded her of how it had been years ago. It had been lonely, just them and Jakob, but there was a lightness in the halls. When he was freer with his smiles, they were as well. Groaning, the princess rolled onto her still sore back, casting her blanket aside while making no effort to uncover her face.

“Then get over here and make a woman of me. Just don't wake me up in the process.” With her vision obscured, she could only imagine the scene playing out with a loud curse, dull thumps, and several- what felt like- pillows being dumped atop her.

 

“Don't. Do that. You may have fallen out of favor from both kingdoms, but you are still a princess.”

“Like princesses don't engage in sexual intercourse?” She pulled the tunic from her face. “I think you need a refresher course on the Nohrian royal dynasty.” Not even a chuckle. Damn. Groaning even louder, Nerr sat up. “ _Fine!_ If you're going to get your smallclothes in knot, then I'll put on a damned shirt. But first, can you put a vulneray on my back? I was struggling so much in that tub, I think I tore a few stitches.” She knocked the pillows away and rolled over onto her stomach, facing the wall. Her cheek smarted; it could probably use a bit of healing too.

“ _Put on pants, Nerr!_ ” An exasperated groan was torn from her throat as she reached back, pulling the cover over her exposed rear.

 

“Gods, were you _always_ this prudish? Jakob wouldn't be complaining about my ass while I'm bleeding to death.”

“If you can run your mouth, you clearly aren't in any danger of dying...” The knight muttered. She could hear him shuffling through her bag to look for the panacea she kept in it. The bed dipped as he sat beside her, pressing a coarse piece of huck toweling to her side. “And I am _not_ prudish, my lady. Believe me, I've seen _and_ done things that would turn you red from head to toe.”

 

“Then why--” She broke off with a sharp hiss as the cold, thick fluid splashed onto her back, burning the flesh on her shoulder blade. It didn't hurt nearly as badly as it had the previous days, but she still gripped at the sheets to keep her hands from shaking. “Mmmmn... then why are you acting like the sight of nude buttocks and bosoms is going to turn you to stone?” Gunther patted away the excess vulneray before pressing the rag against her jaw. She barely had time to wonder why before the cold liquid gave way to a searing buzz she could feel in her mouth.

“You were showing off a great deal more than buttocks. ...this is not the time for me to be oggling you, Lady Nerr. You may _think_ you don't mind being seen in the nude, but given that you were half drowned mere minutes ago, I don't exactly trust your mental state. If, when you are not delirious from lack of blood and air, you allow me to gaze upon you, I gladly will. But until then, put on a damn shirt at least.” The bed shifted once more, and when Nerr sat up, she very nearly rolled her eyes at the sight of her retainer standing at attention, facing the opposite wall. For a man claiming to be cruel and wicked, he certainlly was hung up on the whole “chivalry” aspect of his knighthood. Huffing through her nose, she fumbled to find the hem of the tunic, taking care not to stretch too far.

 

“Fine, you big baby. Like my breasts aren't good enough for you...” She muttered that last part under her breath, though not quietly enough as he intoned while his back was turned.

“Alas, my lady, I fear it is I who am not good enough for your breasts. What could a simple peasant hope to do with royal treasures?” She paused in her attempts to pull her head through the loose neck, smiling to herself as warmth bloomed in her cheeks. Pulling the hem down, she crawled under the remaining cover.

 

“Alright. You can revert your virgin gaze.” Gunther straightened the comforter, picking up the ones that had fallen and draping them over her before sitting on the side of the bed to remove his boots.

“Were I a vainer man, Lady Nerr, I'd be inclined to inform you that there is nothing 'virgin' about me.” _'_ _Stop trying to seduce me_ _...!'_ She watched his back as he moved. She used to always watch him run through drills in the courtyard far below her window and marvel at his broad shoulders.

“You don't have to use titles for me anymore.” He stopped, looking back at her.

“What?”

“You can stop calling me 'Lady' Nerr. Just... say my name.” She hesitated for a moment. “Th-that's what lovers do, right?” The older man pushed back the covers, swinging his legs onto the bed before tucking the comforters in around them both.

 

“You matter far more to me than a simple lover could, my lady.”

“You can stop addressing me like that, too.”

“...if it's all the same to you, I would rather continue.” Gunther reached out, tucking her still damp hair behind her ear. “You are my lady. Now more than ever. I've always had so little, but the gods blessed me with you.” Nerr closed her eyes, leaning head head forward to rest against his chest so he couldn't see her tearing up again.

 

It was pitiful, but at least this time they were happy tears. She should have felt guilty. A man had died tonight (hardly an innocent man, but still). A large part of Cyrkensia lay in ruins, with a massive death toll. A great darkness was looming over them, just beyond the horizon, a god's wrath that would come just as surely as night fell... And yet, she didn't think about any of those things. Not a one of them mattered to her in that instant. She was happy, perfectly content in that moment. All the world could be burning around her, and she probably wouldn't have even roused. No nightmares bothered her that night.

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A/N- *dies * That Feeling When romance is a key aspect of your main character's life, but you're bad at writing confessions so you just slap your paws on the keyboard until you can go back to conflict (how _this_ managed to be more cheesy than Gunther's S support in Fates I'll never fucking know). Nothing, and I mean quite literally NOTHING I've ever written has been as hard as this. The sex scene in TRD wasn't as uncomfortable as _this!_ It was great at first, and then I got to the emotions and my brain shut down. I _almost_ wish I didn't add this, but my two best friends would have my head if I denied Nerr this one shred of happiness. But it's done now! I've passed the main hump! It's smooth sailing from here on out for my happy, loving children.


	14. Benediction

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Ch. 14- “Benediction”

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Despite being tangled in layers of blankets, it was unusually cold when Nerr woke up. Her eyes remained closed while she waited for her mind to fully come to, and with nothing else to distract her, she could hear sheets of rain beating down on her window. The thought of going out in freezing slush to procure supplies was about as appealing as swallowing a live roach. Already in sour mood, the princess sank further into her warm nest, frowning as something hard poked into her back. She rolled over- no easy task with arms like iron bars wrapped around her waist. Her frown eased into a smile. Despite sharing a bed regularly as a child plagued with night terrors, the only time she'd ever seen Gunther asleep had been after they'd rescued him from that hell hole Valla. Even then, she would have been hard pressed to consider his unconscious state anything similar to true “sleep”.

 

There was a marked difference between being weak, on the verge of death, and being vulnerable. With his hair falling into his face and a thick stubble darkening his jaw, it was hard to not see her perfect knight as anything but a normal man. Something metallic glinted from between the laces of his shirt. She untied them carefully, pulling out what she had taken for a dagger at first glance. That was definitely what had so rudely stabbed her, and it was no wonder given how pointy it was. What kind of fool would wear something so dangerous close to his heart, she wondered as the fool in question rolled onto his back with a loud groan.

 

“Are you robbing me or trying to have your way with me?” He asked, still half asleep by the sound of it.

“You stabbed me.”

“That tends to happen in the morning...”

“What is this thing?” She pulled at the sharp instrument, nearly choking her retainer as she tried to hold it above the covers to better see it.

“ 's your horn.” Nerr's eyes widened as she noticed the sharp, uneven edge poking out from beyond the leather tied at it's base. Exclaiming in disgust, she tossed it away from herself, scrambling to sit up.

 

“ _Why!?_ ”

“You told me I could keep it.” Gunther muttered, rolling over onto his other side.

“As a weapon! Not to wear around your neck!”

“And risk damaging or losing it? No, thank you.” He glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowed as he tried to focus on her. “What's so strange about it? People keep stag antlers.”

“Not around their necks! And I am not a stag, thank you--”

“Of course not; you're a charming doe~”

“You may as well be wearing a vial of my toenail clippings around your neck!” Sighing, the older man turned back to face her. Even with lilac hair in disarray covering his eyes, he looked like he might pull a lance on her, _Spit out that cake..._

 

“No, I would need to be wearing your nails for that to comparison to work, and considering that dragon claws _are_ in fact used as jewelry, I still don't see the issue. This came from you head. I am, in essence, wearing a lock of your hair. Would you deny me so simple a trinket?” ...that crafty bastard. He knew full well that was the kind of schlock she swooned over in her terrible romance novels. Still, the sight of it made her uncomfortable. She rubbed her forehead, where the remaining horn lay beneath the skin.

“Can't you at least wear it on your belt or something?”

“I keep all of my keepsakes of you close to my heart, my lady.” He tucked his morbid necklace back against his skin, pulling out something else in it's stead. Her lip twisted in distaste. Why would a manky old rag serve as a keepsake of... no.

 

“You _didn't..._ ”

“I _did_ , in fact.” He grinned at her as she howled, face burning with embarrassment.

“ _NO!_ Why would you keep that hideous rag!? It's too humiliating!” If anyone thought she was bold these days, she had been downright brazen as a child. Barely more than a toddler, she'd marched right up to him and presented him with that horribly embroidered kerchief as though she were presenting a crown (and distantly remembered feeling he damn well better appreciate it as such). In his infinite patience, Gunther had played along with her childish delusions, but as she grew older, she always assumed he had just tossed the stupid thing in the trash where it belonged. Even now, she could see the uneven lines, the barely discernible design... In her bag, the half-completed second attempt sat neatly folded in her sewing kit. He smiled warmly as he looked upon it, a true smile that left deep lines around his eyes and mouth that made her knees go weak.

 

“ 'A lady's favor for her champion knight'. That's what you told me. You were so enthralled with knights and dragons back then...” The happiness shining in his eyes dulled slightly. “I know it's wrong. I've always hated myself for it. But as you got older, I truly lived by those words. In my heart of hearts, I dreamed that I could be your champion, my lady. That I could save you from that lonely, miserable tower and make you happy...”

“Then why didn't you say anything?” She whispered miserable. All these years spent pining in silence... He only had to say the word, and she'd have been his. Gunther laughed humorlessly, eyes turning cold.

“And risk your brother's wrath? Your sister's? Your _father's?_ Tell me, L-- Nerr. In a world where the stars didn't align and you didn't feel the same for me as I do for, what would you have done had I prostrated myself before you and confessed my love?”

 

“I-- I don't--” She honestly couldn't fathom such a world. It was like imagining growing up amongst her birth family; utterly incomprehensible to her mind. “Apologized?”

“...after that. You'd have told Lady Elise or Lady Camilla, because you tell them everything, and then they'd have told Prince Xander, and then my flayed corpse would have been nailed up in the middle of Windmire.”

“That's not true! They wouldn't do anything to you for something so stupid!” She cried vehemently. Camilla may not have been pleased, but she backed down when Nerr told her to. And, in that horrible reality, Xander wouldn't have cared as long as she didn't reciprocate those feelings. Gunther was not convinced by her impassioned claim.

 

“Don't think I don't know how these people work. I know the cruelty your family is capable of- _both_ of them. I've seen Garon boil men alive for making advances on his mistresses. And I didn't live all this time through hell just to fall at Garon's hands now...” His bitterness seeped into the air, leaving it harsh and acrid. Timidly, the princess lay back down, resting her head on his shoulder.

“...I don't know what King Garon would have done... but I still don't think my brother would do anything so severe. He didn't when I asked to marry you--” He made a sound like a duck being garroted.

“You _what!?_ ”

“Don't yell at me...! I got enough of that from Xander. I said it in a hypothetical sense, but... well, he's not as stupid as he acts. But the fact remains that you weren't flayed, and neither was I. I won't lie, though; I'd _rather_ be flayed than have to tell him and Camilla about this. I can just picture them flipping their collective shit...”

“...then we won't.” The knight leaned over, pressing his lips to her temple. “It can be our little secret for now.” Nerr smiled, but it felt rictus, hurting her cheeks in it's unnaturalness.

 

“And later? If we make it to the end of the war?”

“There is no 'if', Nerr. I'll see you to a peaceful future if I have to kill every man, woman and child on the continent to do so.” She laughed despite herself.

“Oh, that sounds very peaceful; a merry little genocide. At least I don't have to worry about an angry mob of vicious toddlers, but... what about Anankos?” Gunther fell silent for a while, his hand coming up to trace the outer edge of her ear. She had to suppress a shudder.

“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But even in the face of a god, I promise I won't let anything happen to you. We'll be happy, my love. We deserve that much.” The sincerity and devotion in his eyes made her heart swell painfully.

 

Swallowing, she leaned closer, brushing her lips against his. Her mind sputtered like a dying candle, shrieking at her to _stop it, stop it before you make a fool out of yourself!!!_ but before she could, his fingers entwined in her hair, holding her where she was as he deepened their kiss. It was almost chaste, nothing like the passionate wars of tongues and lips she read about, but she would not trade their sweet moment for all the passion in the world. She giggled, pushing him away as his chin rasped against hers.

 

“You feel like a grindstone!”

“Then I suppose I should go and make myself presentable.” With an exaggerated groan, the knight cast the blankets off not just himself but Nerr as well. She hissed sharply, curling into a tight ball, the air freezing her bare legs. “I suggest you do the same, my lady.”

“Damn you straight to hell.” She knew he was right. She was planning on speaking to not only Azura, but Yuugiri as well, to get an idea of what kind of scene would await them at the border. And as long as Camilla could get away with tapping into the royal treasury, they needed to buy as many supplies as possible.

 

Just as with her Yato and her sister's Artemis, it appeared that Takumi's holy bow required little upkeep and showed no signs of wear despite being centuries old, but the rest of their group wielded weapons of simple steel that had been through the wringer. _She_ intended to go to the Chasm wanting peace, but she trusted Garon about as far as she could spit. Still, she was in no mood to leave her bed just yet, instead rolling onto her stomach as she watched her newly beloved pull his boots on. Her tunic was sticking to her back uncomfortably, and she wondered if he might not be able to see to it. Any idiot could pour a vulneray and bandage a cut. Maybe she'd rest a few more minutes while he shaved and did whatever else men did to get ready in the morning (put on perfume or something; she didn't know). The princess had just allowed her eyes to begin closing again when the creaking door pulled her from her drowsing.

 

“What--”

“ _You...”_ The distinctly feminine voice was so unexpected that Nerr pushed herself to the edge of the bed just in time to see Gunther fall to the floor, a silver ax embedded in the door frame where his head had been only seconds before. Frost snaked along the wood as Camilla struggled to pull it free. Her eyes were manic, face white in her rage as she finally dislodged her weapon. “I _knew_ it...! You monster!!” She brought the ax down, just barely missing his legs though she succeeding in leaving a deep gouge in the floor. “I'll chop your shriveled cock off and feed it to pigs!!”

 

“Camilla, what are you doing!? Stop it!!” The older princess stopped mid-swing, her momentum carrying forward as she directed her attention to her sister. Wild eyes filled with tears, her face crumpling.

“Oh... my baby...!” Weeping softly, she seemed to forget about her intent to kill the knight as she stepped over him (quite literally walking over him, her sharp heels clearly causing pain), rushing to Nerr's side. Dropping her ax, she tenderly cupped the younger girl's face in her hands, her own cheeks awash with tears. “This is all my fault... I can't believe I let this happen... I _knew_ it would happen, I knew it was only a matter of time, but I told myself 'it can't happen to my precious Nerr, because I won't let it'!!” The teal-haired girl blinked slowly, her brain slogging through molasses as she tried to make sense of her sister's disturbing behavior.

 

“What are you talking about, Camilla?”

“Shhhh...” Camilla pressed a finger to her lips. “It'll all be okay, sweetling. You're safe now. That _deviant_ can't hurt you anymore... and I'll make sure he never hurts you again...!” She reached for her ax, but the other girl was quicker, grabbing her wrists and holding them tightly.

“Sister. _Stop._ Just stop and tell me what's going on.”

“You don't have to act brave anymore, dearest. I know how scared you must have been, but mommy's here...” Had she... had she seen the body of the attempted assassin? Had she somehow heard what had happened? But... that was impossible; if Camilla had thought she was in danger last night, there would have been a Camilla-shaped hole in the door. That just left her more confused than ever.

 

“Camilla, I don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about...”

“I do.” Gunther's voice was hard and bitter as he pushed himself to his feet, turning to face the princesses. “I do believe Lady Camilla thinks we made love last night.”

“What!?”

“ 'Made love'? _Made **love**?!_ Don't you try to romanticise it, you fucking degenerate! You defiled her!!!”

“ _WHAT?!_ ” By that time, the commotion had drawn the attention of others. Scattered amongst the Hoshidans, she caught glimpses of other guests lined up to peek through the door.

 

“What's going on in here?”

“Is everything alright?”

“Is that Princess Camilla?”

“What happened?” Grinding her teeth, Nerr jumped out of bed, storming over to the door with as much authority as she could manage wearing nothing more than a loose tunic.

 

“No! Go away! Shoo, all of you; mind your own damn business!” She slammed the door in their faces, cringing after the fact as she realized Jakob and Silas were at the front of the crowd. She would apologize to them later, when Camilla _wasn't_ reaching for her ax again. “ _Don't._ Leave it, Camilla. Leave it- just sit! Oh, gods...” She reached up, rubbing her temples; already, she could feel her headache coming coming back full force. Taking a seat beside her sister, she looked at Gunther. “I think it's best if you leave for now.”

“Unfortunately, I agree, my lady.” The knight quickly opened the door, pushing a few people out of the way as he closed it behind him. The elder princess' hand clenched tightly as she glared past her sister, her knuckles standing out white against her skin. Nerr covered one shaking fist with her own hand.

“Big sister... tell me what just happened.”

“I should be asking _you_ that! I--! Oh... ohhhhhh....” Her eyes welled with tears anew. “I'm so sorry, Nerr! I can't believe I said something so thoughtless! You don't have to tell me anything, sweetie; in fact, don't think about it! Just... put it from your mind!”

“I don't think you understand, Camilla...”

 

“Oh, I understand. I understand far too well what... _men_ like that are like. Heartless beasts not worth the cock that sired them, preying on weak, helpless souls to try and fool themselves into thinking they're strong...” Honestly, that sounded more like Hans than anyone to Nerr, and that her sister would try to paint the man she loved with that brush infuriated her. The lilac-haired woman hadn't stopped talking. It sounded like she was rambling to herself more than to her sister. “--Father always surrounded himself with them- it's disgusting. I _knew_ leaving you alone in that fortress with two male retainers was a terrible idea, I _knew_ something like this would happen one day but Father didn't care, and you seemed so fond of them... but that just makes it even worse!”

 

“Camilla!” She raised her voice to be heard over the other girl's frantic rant. “Please stop. Please stop saying things like that. ...I don't know what kind of men you've encountered in Krakenburg, but Gunther and Jakob aren't like that. They would no sooner... 'defile' me... than Xander or Leo.” The other princess shuddered. Nerr couldn't blame her- the thought of her brothers, even though there was no blood binding them, touching her in anything resembling an untoward manner made her want to vomit. And even though Jakob was her butler, they had been raised together since childhood. He was as much a brother to her as Leo was. Camilla shifted so she could face her sister directly, lightly resting her hands on the other's shoulders.

 

“I know you care for them, dear, but you don't have to defend that monster. Look what he did to you!” She brushed Nerr's neck with a knuckle, and the draconic princess realized with a thrill of horror that she probably had bruises all across her throat from where that whoreson had choked her. That, her bare legs and mussed hair, and a man coming out of her room... oh gods, no wonder she assumed the worst.

“That wasn't Gunther.” She said, a bit too quickly. Camilla raised a brow.

“No? So who marred your pretty neck up like that, then? A ghost?”

“I did. I slipped in the tub and hit my neck on the edge. You should be grateful I'm not dead.” She tried to keep her voice lighthearted, but given how close she had come to dying the previous night, her joking tone fell flat. It was clear that the elder princess was not buying her half-lie, and Nerr was too tired to try and make a more convincing story. Instead, she sighed, and reach out. This time, she was the one holding her sister's face, forcing her to meet her eyes.

 

“Camilla. Listen to me. I'm not protecting anyone. I have no reason to. Yes, Gunther and I slept together last night-- gih!!” She quickly silenced the other princess before she could begin raging again. “But there was no defiling. There was nothing sexual about it. We were both fully clothed.”

“Then why was he in your bed to begin with? I _know_ he has his own bed because I paid for it myself.” Nerr swallowed with a bit of difficulty. A thousand excuses filled her mind, some believable, others comically outlandish. She settled on the simplest one.

“He was here because I asked him to be. Because I love him. And he loves me.” The older princess laughed, a slightly manic sound, her fingers fluttering nervously.

 

“ 'Love'? Is that what he's taught you to call it? Oh, my dearest darling, you don't know what love is--” Nerr stood quickly, glaring down at her sister.

“Don't perceive to tell me what I know, Camilla. I am not a child, not that you would realize that. I know my feelings as surely as I know how to wield a sword. And they _aren_ _'_ _t_ your concern.”

“Nerr--”

“You don't have to like Gunther, you don't even have to accept that I love him... but you _do_ have to stop trying to kill him. I won't tolerate that. I mean it, sister. Don't you fucking dare; if you hurt a single hair on his head, I will _end_ you in ways there aren't words for.” Wide violet eyes blinked slowly, before the older woman laughed miserably.

 

“When you say things like that, you sound just like Father's true-born daughter...” Even the slightest hint of humor vanished from her face. “...I just don't want you to get hurt, dearest... It's so easy to get hurt, especially when you open your heart to someone...”

“I won't, Camilla. I promise you that.” She took hold of her sister's hands, pulling her to her feet. “Now get out. I have to dress, since someone so _rudely_ interrupted my sleep.”

“I can help you get ready--”

“You can help me by leaving. And take your stupid ax with you. And remember my warning...”

 

The elder princess was incredibly reluctant to leave, a dead weight that Nerr had to fight with in order to push her from the room, quickly closing the door behind her before her sister could rush back in. She sighed, leaning against the thick wood. To think, she'd been foolish enough to expect a peaceful morning... Every bit of her good humor from earlier had gone up in smoke. It wasn't like this in her books, she mused bitterly as she ran a finger over the thin branches of ice that had yet to melt on her door frame. The books made every romance, no matter how unlikely, seem like nothing but roses and kittens. Not... _work_. Not calming down murderous princesses and already having to wonder if these were rumors that needed quelling or if she could just leave them be. Then again, that was pretty much what royal life _was_ , according to her siblings. Murder attempts, gossip, and picking one's way through all of that with their sanity at least somewhat intact. ...ugh, she'd rather fight a war. A sword was a less taxing weapon than her wit, and easier to keep sharp. Pushing herself away from the door (instead of sliding down it and going to sleep like she originally considered), Nerr dragged her feet around the room, picking up her mostly dry clothes.

 

She leaned in the doorway of the washroom as she dressed, keeping her eyes glued to the window, daring a face to appear against the gray runoff. The man's body was still probably lying right below it, a blacksmith's apprentice who didn't like the notion of some byak (that was what they called Hoshidans, right?) whore playing both sides of the war and poisoning his people with her lies about Hoshido _not_ being their enemy. Well. That was why she was alive, and he was dead. Clenching her jaw, she quickly walked over to the window, peering around as far as she could without opening it, her heart pounding. At any moment, something could jump out at her, another, more adept killer. But nothing did. The only sound was the rain, the only shadows those it made as it ran down the glass. Of course. She was just being crazy. Inhaling deeply, the princess backed out of the room, closing the door quietly.

 

Dressing quickly and grabbing her sword, she quickly ran from the room. Considering all the horrors she'd seen, fought against, and lived to tell the tale of, it felt silly that she would be afraid of something as mundane as assassins. But she was. She'd no sooner jumped down the last few steps, feet flat on the hard wood of the first floor that she immediately realized maybe taking her chance with another assassin wouldn't be so bad. No less than a dozen eyes turned to stare at her. She could practically hear them blinking in unison as they bore into her. It was as though when the motley group stopped talking, they silenced all the sound in the large common room. Nerr could not look away, such was a sign of weakness... but this was one staring match she could not win.

 

“...no.” She turned on her heel, trying to run back up the stairs, but something collided with her legs, grabbing them, nearly knocking her to the floor.

“Nuh uh uh! You're not getting away _that_ easily!” Elise was surprisingly strong for a girl her size, winding around her sister's legs like a snake trying to crush it's prey. “You have to tell me everything!”

“I have nothing to say! Let _go_ , Elise, before I kick you in the teeth!”

 

“Really?” Takumi sneered. “You have _nothing_ to say about all that commotion this morning?”

“No, because that 'commotion' was my sister's doing-- let go, you little gremlin! Gah!” She collapsed onto the stairs, the young girl seizing her opportunity to crawl up her prone form, hanging off her neck.

“Come on! Tell me! Please please please please _please???_ ” Pushing herself back to her feet, Nerr huffed and brushed herself off, trying to look as dignified as she could with a tiny blonde girl dangling from her back.

“If you all have time to stand around and wait for gossip like housewives at the market, then you have time to think about what you're going to do at the Chasm. Dealing with Ryouma is every bit _your_ obligation as it is mine.” They looked away, shamed by their foolishness or daunted by the task that truly lay at hand, she didn't know. Well... some did. The brunette samurai grinned at her her, linking his hands behind his head.

 

“But we wanna hear about the horizontal sparring you and your manservant were up to last night.” Takumi slapped a hand across his mouth so hard, he nearly knocked his retainer to the ground.

“No, we _don't!!_ ” He roared, his face bright red as he looked back to his sister. “We don't want to hear _anything_ about _anything_ you were doing last night!!” Silas sniggered from behind him.

“What, are you embarrassed?”

“YES! _Of course_ I'm embarrassed!!! _She's my_ _ **sister**_ _!!_ I don't want to hear her talk about s-sex...!”

 

“There _is_ no sex!” Nerr countered angrily. “If this is all you philistines are after, go look somewhere else. There's no bloody bedding to be hung from a window, and no conquest to brag about, save for the conquest of Hoshido if you don't _get your asses out of here._ ” Grumbling to himself and still plenty red in the face, Takumi was the first to leave, pushing past her to run back upstairs. Realizing that there was nothing to gain by standing there waiting for a bold confession, the others dissipated as well. Most of them, at least. With a disappointed sound, Elise slid back to the floor.

“So there are no juicy details? No romantic escapades? Gunther didn't rip your bodice off and push you up against a wall and just start pounding it from behind?” Nerr stared at her sister, face white in horror.

 

“... _who taught you those things?!_ ”

“Niles.” She answered innocently. Nerr didn't know who this “Niles” was, but she would rip his tongue out to polish her armor. “So you didn't--”

“NO! Stop thinking about your sister being 'pounded from behind' and... go to bed!”

“But it's daytime...”

“You heard me!” With a despondent groan, the youngest princess sullenly dragged her feet up the stairs, stopping every few steps to look back upon her sister with a pleading, wide-eyed gaze. The teal-haired woman kept her face fixed in a severe frown until Elise had disappeared onto the landing above, sighing and sliding down onto the stairs to rest her head in her hands. Everything was relatively silent for a while, until pale, bare feet stopped a few inches from her own.

 

“Well. That certainly is... one way to start a morning. Are things always this energetic with your sisters?” Groaning, Nerr let her head fall back against the wall.

“They're your sisters, too. You tell me.” Azura bit her lip, looking away.

“I tried to avoid my royal 'siblings' as much as possible when I lived in Nohr. Their idea of 'fun' was pushing me into suits of armor and threatening to grind me into sausages to feed to my mother.” At the sight of the other princess' horrified look, she quickly backtracked. “Not Camilla. Or Xander. Elise hadn't even been born yet then. But... well, I avoided them as well, though I'm sure you can understand why.” She could. Nerr knew little about her many “siblings”, aside from the fact that they existed... until they didn't.

“Well, I wouldn't know anything about how our sisters act in the morning either, considering I lived miles away from them and generally only saw them in the afternoon. ...to think, I would actually miss that distance...” The singer hummed thoughtfully for a moment.

 

“I need to discuss something with you, Nerr.”

“Discuss away. I'm just here... mourning the days when my family didn't ask about my sex life.”

“No. I need you to come outside with me.” Panic gripped Nerr's heart. Oh gods, had she heard that crash last night? Where was Azura's room? Had she seen the body fall?

“There's nothing out there but rain and destruction. I'm sure whatever it is--”

“It can't wait. This is something we need to see to sooner rather than later.” Without waiting for a response, the singer grabbed the other girl's wrists, pulling her to her feet and all but dragging her from the inn. Despite the canals, or perhaps because of them, the cobblestone streets were flooded, causing the huge drops of rain to create huge splashes. Even standing on the the doorstep, under an awning, Nerr was already getting soaked. If her clothes had been completely dry, she'd have been infuriated.

 

“What they hell is so important that we have to catch pneumonia to see to it?!” She cried out over the roar of rain. Azura barely paid the cold and wet any mind, stepping out into the downpour.

“This way.”

“You're crazy. I hate you!” The Nohrian girl whined as she followed the other. Azura didn't lead her to the back of the inn (thank the gods), but through the streets and down alleys, avoiding the foul things floating down the gutters as best as she could. She led Nerr to a river that fed into the canals, with a ramp that led from the dock down into the water. She'd heard that gondolas carrying supplies and even people sometimes traveled the canals, but there was no boat waiting for them. Just dirty water. She laughed nervously. “What are we dumping here? A body?” The blunette looked back at her, her clothes nearly translucent as they clung to her.

 

“Ourselves. We're going _there.”_ Crimson eyes widened and she stepped back.

“Like hell we are. Or do you not remember what happened the _last_ time we went there--”

“Oh, for the love of the gods, grow a spine, Nerr.” Even with her hair plastered to her head, and looking like a drowned rat, there was something about Azura that was almost intimidating. “We aren't staying long. We just need to _go_ there; specifically, _you_ need to go there. We need to make sure that you being able to travel via the conduits isn't a fluke. Besides, you have a sword; what are you afraid of?” Nerr still wasn't convinced. She could feel the water flooding into her mouth, her nose and lungs, choking her, drowning her...

 

“The last time I walked into a lake, I almost drowned.”

“You won't drown.” The other girl held out her hand, golden eyes imploring her to take it. “I promise.” She was being stupid. She'd never been afraid of water before, not even when it nearly spelled the death of her. Of course, back then, what did she really have to _live_ for? None of the things she had now... Breathing hard to steel herself, she took Azura's hand. It was small, and weak, but it _did_ make her feel a little better as the singer led her into the water. Compared to the icy rain, it was damn near warm. “All you have to do is not be afraid.”

 

“Oh, _sure_ , I just 'won't be afraid' while I'm _drowning!_ ”

“If you can keep a calm head while you're being stabbed, I think you can keep a calm head while you're drowning.” That wasn't the same at all, though. Nerr had experience being stabbed; she could simply fall back onto her training and calm herself. When her lungs burned and she felt water filling her lungs, she was little more than a rat scrambling in terror. Still, she waded deeper into the filthy river. It wasn't until the water was around her shoulders and she could still feel her toes grazing the bottom that Nerr began to doubt the legitimacy of this idea.

“I don't think this river's deep enough to be a magic portal.”

“The lake in Shirasagi isn't that deep either. Just hold your breath, and hold my hand. _Don't_ let go.” Inhaling deeply, Azura ducked her head below the surface, not giving Nerr much time to follow. She had to bite her lip to keep from exclaiming in sheer disbelieving outrage as the ground that had just been beneath her bottomed out.

 

Far, far down in the darkness that was left was a light, just like the light she had seen in Shirasagi, the light that had called to her. Tugging on her hand, Azura dove, dragging the other princess behind her. The closer they got to the light, the more the current pulled, faster and faster, like a whirlpool going down a drain. From her periphery, Nerr could see broken chunks of masonry, trees stripped of their leaves, eyes, _eyes on all sides of her, closing in--_ She couldn't hold her breath anymore, a cloud of bubbles blinding her as she screamed, her body pulled in all directions from the inside out-- Thrashing, she broke the surface of the water, fighting to keep her head above it.

 

“Azura!! Azura, help me! I can't swim!!”

“Stand up, Nerr.” The singer's exasperated voice cut through her panic. Gasping for breath, the Norhian princess staggered to her feet. The water that had threatened to overtake her barely came up to her calves. Sighing wearily, she collapsed back into it, laying back on the sandy shore.

“Oh gods, that was even worse than the Chasm somehow!”

“Why did you let go of my hand, Nerr?” Azura asked as she sat behind her, frowning. “You could have ended up on the far side of Valla.”

“I couldn't help it! The eyes--”

“What eyes?”

“...you didn't see them? Ugh... they were everywhere. They were horrible.” Both women fell silent for a while, before the singer spoke once more.

 

“Maybe you saw pieces of statues of Anankos. My mother once said that he was called 'He Who Sees All', so there are lots of eyes on Vallite buildings and monuments.” Nerr groaned slightly, forcing herself to look up at the sky. With the thick clouds, she couldn't tell if it was morning or night. Every island that floated above her looked as though it could fall from the sky at any moment, landing on them, crushing them, turning them into the visceral flora that covered everything...

“Why is this place so terrible!?” She sounded just like Takumi whining about Nohr. She hated it. Azura picked at the tiny white flowers that bloomed near the bank, and all Nerr could think of was that the had once been fingernails of anyone who was unlucky enough to die there.

“Because of _him_. My mother told me that all those pieces of land in the sky are what Anankos tore from the earth in fits of rage. He went to the homes of those who angered him and cast them away. I used to think she told me that just to scare me, but... it was probably the truth.” She couldn't even begin to fathom a creature large enough to tear entire pieces of the land up and chuck them like clods of dirt. Then again, this was the same abomination that turned the dead into murderous gelatin. ...as funny a concept as it was, it didn't make her laugh.

 

“Are we safe here, Azura? What if those... things come after us?”

“We're safe as long as we don't speak too loudly. We can just go back in the lake and end up back in Cyrkensia. Wherever you came from, that's where you'll end up again. At least, that's the way I know to do it. My mother could travel all around Valla from a single lake in Nohr, but I have no idea how she did it. And frankly, after she died, I wasn't brave enough to try anything on my own.” She drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she stared into the lake. It would've been easy to pretend the drops of water rolling down her cheeks were coming from her hair, so that's what Nerr did as she sat up, though she moved a bit closer to the singer.

 

“You learned a lot from your mother, huh?” Azura smiled slightly.

“Everything I know. She was a fearless woman. I was too young to remember when we fled from Valla, but she told me that she brought me to Cyrkensia and made a living as a street performer there. Imagine- a queen singing on the streets for coin! ...That was when King Garon saw here. He recognized her, she said. Bade her come to Krakenburg... but she refused. She wouldn't be one of his whores.” The smile slid from her face, and she sniffled, bringing her arm up to wipe her eyes. “I wish she hadn't changed her mind. She'd still be alive if it wasn't for him...!” Covering her face, Azura wept quietly. Those tiny sounds made Nerr's skin crawl, but as much as she longed to back away, she found herself scooting closer, wrapping an arm around the sobbing girl. She didn't know what to say, what could possibly be comforting, but fortunately, the songstress wasn't asking for comfort.

“She warned him about Anankos. I don't even know what she said, but I _know_ she had to mention Valla because when I went to see her, she was half gone. Just... _gone!_ Melting away, like sugar candy in water... and she smiled at me... and told me it was worth it to keep _Nohr_ safe... How could she care more about a kingdom that wasn't even hers than _me!?_ ” The Nohrian princess bit her lip until she could taste the beginning of blood.

 

“I sincerely doubt she did, Azura. Gunther called her 'Queen Arete', so that means Garon married her, right?” A blue head nodded. “So Nohr _was_ her kingdom. Nohr was _your_ kingdom, your home. ...I don't know your mother... but it sounds to me like she died to make sure you would still have a place to live. You already lost one home to Anankos... she wouldn't want you to lose another.” Wiping her face, Azura gaze a watery laugh.

“Maybe you're right. I think you would understand the way she thought. ...you sound like her sometimes, Nerr.”

“M-me?”

 

“Mm hmm. One of the few... not-terrible memories I have of Nohr is of her chasing King Garon down the halls. This tiny woman in a dressing gown bearing down on a giant in full armor, yelling at him for everyone to hear about how he needed to stop draining the royal coffers to hold tournaments. She really _was_ fearless... but I suppose in order to live in a place like this, you'd have to be.” She fell silent for a moment, before turning to Nerr, her brows knit in distress. “Do you want to know something awful?”

 

“No?”

“There were times, living in Hoshido, when I honestly felt like I was Empress Mikoto's daughter more than my own mother's. My mother was brash and bold and brave, and all sorts of other words starting with 'B' that I'm not. She was comfortable in Nohr like I could never be. I don't even _sound_ like her.” The Nohrian princess chuckled weakly.

“Maybe you _are_ Mikoto's daughter, and I'm Arete's daughter and we were accidentally switched around at birth.”

“I don't think that would work since I'm a year older than you, I think...”

“It was a joke.”

“I know.” The singer frowned regardless. “It is strange though. All my life, I thought only Vallites could use the conduits in lakes and rivers to travel to Valla. It was one of the gifts Anankos passed down to my ancestor, Exalt Cadros, with his blood... it's curious that _you_ can use them too.” It was Nerr's turn to frown.

 

“Yes... curious...”

“But, then again, you _are_ a dragon. You can probably do anything you damn well please... Somehow, I keep forgetting that you're kind of a god--”

“No. No, don't. Don't even _think_ of considering me a 'god'; I can't answer prayers even _if_ you leave me offerings on an alter.”

“I was thinking more about denouncing you and burning you in effigy.”

“How _dare_ you speak to your god that way!? Just because I can't answer your prayers doesn't mean I can't smite your ass!” Azura laughed, sincerely this time, and despite herself, Nerr wound up laughing as well. A god... how absurd... Standing up, the songstress stretched.

 

“We should probably get back. I told Sakura and Kaze that I was going out with you, but we've probably been gone a good hour--”

“Fuck!” Nerr stood up, far too quickly, toppling over back into the muck. “I'm supposed to be doing things, not going on vacation in Valla!”

“You could have done things last night...” She glowered up at the singer.

“When I was _sleeping?_ No, no you're right; I don't deserve luxuries like _sleep_. How silly of me.”

“That's not what I was talking about.”

 

“But it _is_ what you were talking about, because that's what I did last night. I took a bath, and I went to sleep.” ' _And I was nearly murdered, but that's neither here nor there...'_ Azura regarded her suspiciously, even as she waded deeper into the lake.

“So you and Sir Gunther didn't...?”

“No.”

“So Camilla--”

“--is crazy.” She finally gave up on standing, instead crawling into the deeper water, paddling slightly as it reached her neck. “Not that what I do at night is any of your business, but I can assure you I wouldn't be denying things so adamantly if they'd actually happened. I'd _probably_ be standing in the middle of town, informing everyone considering how proud I would be...” The singer still frowned as she took Nerr's hand once more, lowering herself into the water as well.

 

“Well, I believe you. Seems an awful shame, though.”

“Shame?”

“Perhaps if you'd... done _that_ , you would be in a better mood for once.” The Nohrian princess leveled her with a hard stare.

“I don't think you understand the core cause of my sour moods, Azura. They don't stem from a lack of sex.” Azura's brows drew together in confusion.

“Are you _sure?_ Because that would make much more sense than you being so sullen over a silly little infatuation.”

 

“...you lived in Nohr. You know first hand how bleak it is, how easily it is to lose hope under that dark sky.”

“Yes...?” The singer acquiesced, not sure where this was going. “It's a dark and miserable country.”

“Yes. And so too was my life dark and miserable. That silly little infatuation was the only spark of hope I ever had, Azura. Gunther was for me what Hoshido was for you. A hope of something better, something brighter, something that made me smile... And something I was always afraid of losing. Imagine if Garon actually cared to take you back, if every day of your happy life in Hoshido, you knew it was just a matter of time until you were dragged back to Nohr, kicking and screaming and crying until you were tossed away to marry some wretched lord you hadn't even met because that's you're 'duty' as a princess, just a royal brick to build political bridges...!” Nerr paused, breathing hard to compose herself.

 

“Sorry. That got personal for a second.” Azura, for what it was worth, did not regard her with any kind of overt pity, though her eyes were more than a little sympathetic.

“I don't think your life in Nohr was nearly as happy as you claim it was.”

“It was, though. Because of my infatuation with a man I was constantly told I couldn't marry. It's the kind of thing that gets under your skin, Azura. It makes you sullen, and being pinned to a wall and pounded from behind won't so easily undo that.” The Hoshidan princess flushed darkly, averting her gaze.

 

“I... I'll have to take your word for it. ...for what it's worth, I think Sir Gunther could do far worse than you.” Nerr chuckled despite herself.

“Normally, my siblings are telling me that _he's_ not good enough for _me._ ”

“He's a very kind man. _You_ on the other hand...” She trailed off at Nerr's cold glare, but before she could say anything, Azura ducked her red face beneath the water's surface, dragging Nerr down with her.

000

 

Going to Valla didn't do much aside from leaving Nerr inching closer to the fire in the the front room of the inn once they returned, trying to regain the feeling in her fingers. So even if the pass closed while they were there, she and Azura would still be able to leave. That would serve no benefit to anyone who got stuck there with them. How many people _would_ go with them? It wasn't as though they could bring an entire regiment into the chasm, at least not at first. They didn't even know where Anankos was, how big of a threat he was, nothing... They knew nothing. _She_ knew nothing, only that she did indeed know nothing. She didn't even know what she was going to do if her brothers decided they didn't want to play nicely. Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them, a dark thought of simply hurling herself into the fireplace lingering in her mind for a moment too long. She was pulled from that macabre urge by the rapid tapping of someone running down the stairs.

 

“Where are you going in such a hurry, Elise?” The younger princess skidded to a halt, peering over the banister like a child peeking out from under their covers.

“Nowhere...? Oh, fine.” She bounded the last few steps, the whole damn building shaking every time she landed as she ran over to her sister. “I'm sending a letter back to Krakenburg and telling my retainers to meet us at the Chasm!” She showed Nerr a piece of parchment, sealed with red wax and looking very official (well, not _that_ official; the drops where she'd spilled it remained). The young girl beamed, looking very proud of her work. “This is how Xander sends letters all the time, even though his are mostly filled with nonsense like 'I avidly await your sincere response post haste right now'! This is a smart letter; I'm just telling Effie and Arthur that I'm alright, and to bring my new staff when they come.” Nerr frowned slightly, looking over the roughly folded parchment.

 

“Surely you can pick up a staff here, if you didn't already sneak one when you snuck yourself into Xander's platoon?”

“Well yeah, but this one's special. It's new! Well, not really _new-_ it's really old actually- but it's new to me! Father gave it to me!” She was so excited that the older princess couldn't help but smile slightly, reaching up to pat her head.

“Well, I'm certain you'll work miracles with it. But if you're going outside, wear a cloak; it's raining buckets out there.”

“I knew I forgot something!” Groaning, Elise trudged back up the stairs, leaving Nerr alone with her thoughts once again. This time, however, they didn't turn to the dark, but rather, a tiny, almost insignificant ember of hope. Inhaling sharply, she leapt to her feet, taking after her sister. As the gods of serendipity would have it, she nearly bowled into Shura as she chased her sister. The thief grabbed her arm to steady her as she toppled back towards the stairs, grinning roguishly.

 

“Hey now. Don't go falling for me, ladyship. I don't think I could handle the drama of a love triangle right now.”

“How lucky, considering I view you less as the corner of a triangle and more as an oblong circle on another piece of paper entirely.” She intoned. “But since I bumped into you, I need to speak with you about something, Shura.”

“Oh?” He quirked a dark brow, looking far more handsome when he wasn't trying. “About what?”

“You're a well traveled man, yes? And well connected too, it seems. Everywhere we go, you sneak off somewhere, and I can only assume you're getting information from some of the many people you undoubtedly know.”

“Your assumptions aren't that far off.”

“Your... disdain of Hoshido is as plain as it is understandable, but I have to wonder; are you as well connected in the east as you are in the west?” The older man frowned deeply, leaning against the banister as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Why do you wanna know?”

“I need to know if your little web of acquaintances can help me get letters to some... acquaintances of my own.” Shura drummed his fingers atop his forearm, staring at her for a long time. As the silence dragged on, Nerr ran through every phrase she could think that he might say in her mind, and gauged how she would respond.

“Why don't you ask your little Hoshidan friends?” That was definitely at the top of the list. The princess scoffed.

“Have you _seen_ them? They're incompetent. I'm not much better, but I have the excuse of having literally been locked in a tower all my life.”

“Why not your little husband, then? He seems to know everything, or at least _think_ _s_ he does...” He trailed off, muttering bitterly to himself.

 

“If I thought that Gunther could help me with this, then I would have gone to him. But I didn't.” She placed her hand on his arm, drawing his attention from his anger back to her. “I came to _you_.” His eyes widened at bit, surprised by her candor. Inhaling sharply, he nodded.

“I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do.” She beamed at him, squeezing his arm thankfully as she continued towards Elise's room. She needed that wax- a bit of formalized posturing might actually make it seem like she knew what she was doing.

000

 

Much like in the Citadel, days seemed to fade into one another. Perhaps it was because, like then, she was in a singular location, going through motions that were familiar to her. Checking on armor and weapons and running through her stances when her back had healed enough to allow for a wider range of movement was familiar. Safe, comforting. Even speaking to the Hoshidans didn't leave her with the sense of dread that she had once felt. Speaking to Yuugiri about the size of Hoshido's army wasn't terrible, especially when the Kinshi rider informed her that it was _incredibly_ unlikely Ryouma would even consider bringing more than 50 soldiers. During Sumeragi's reign, the late emperor insisted the capital and Fort Jinya be the most heavily fortified areas, as Shirasagi was the heart of Hoshido. She hoped Xander would do the same, even though she knew that Nohr had more than enough soldiers to spare.

 

“Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if King Garon sent out at least a battalion to the border. I hadn't joined the army yet during the last war, but the way Gunther-san told it, Nohr had enough soldiers to blot out the sun even then...” The older woman sighed dreamily. “I can't even imagine being on a battlefield _that_ hectic. Blood and steel and screams of anguish... delightful!” Nerr's lips twisted in disgust as she stared up at her.

“...you're a horrible person. You're better suited to being an executioner than a soldier.” To her (unpleasant) surprise, Yuugiri laughed cheerfully at her words.

“People tell me that all the time, Nerrida-sama. Indeed, sometimes I think the same, but there's no sport in cutting the heads off bound criminals. I would never kill a man that couldn't defend himself.”

 

“...really?”

“Oh, yes.” The Hoshidan woman's face turned serious. “It's shameful to cut down someone when they pose no threat to you. Give me an armed opponent who can fight back. Someone with a good deal of fight in him yet. That's how I got _this_.” She pointed at the intersecting scars between her eyes, beaming with pride. “A raider who thought he could outrun me. I assumed he would throw himself at my feet and beg for mercy like his friends, but he had grit, that one. Nearly blinded me! Ohohoho... what I did to him was much, much worse....” She sighed quietly, a forlorn look overtaking her eyes. “If my parents saw me looking like this, they'd disown me... well, they _would_ if they hadn't already. But I see it as a badge of pride. I'm here, and the person who gave it to me isn't.”

 

“Is that so?” Nerr asked, already thinking how she could leave without seeming unforgivably rude. Despite her amiable attitude, or perhaps because of it, the Kinshi rider made her incredibly uncomfortable. Perhaps because the only person who sincerely _enjoyed_ killing aside from her that the princess had the displeasure of meeting had been Hans. It was telling that her mother would not only welcome a psychotic killer into her ranks, but keep her as her personal retainer.

“Indeed it is. I can only imagine how many 'badges' Gunther-san has. I'm certain I'd almost gotten him to tell me of a few of them when we were en route to Dia.” A tic went off near her eye as Nerr rounded on the woman, tremors in her arms as she fought to keep them at her sides.

 

“Stay away from him, you she-devil. I don't want your type of crazy rubbing off on him.” She could just imagine that kind of remark leading to some catty retort from a court lady. But Yuugiri was a soldier, and a mentally unbalanced one at that. If she took offense, she certainly didn't let it show. In fact, her expression looked... Sympathetic if anything.

“Oh, you poor, sweet child... I don't need to rub off on someone like that. You may not be able to see it, milady, but _I_ do. There are horrors in that man's eyes. Things that would give your nightmares nightmares.” Her serious tone faded into a wistful sigh. “You're so lucky, Nerrida-sama. I would stab a man in the throat with a chopstick to spend my days with someone so steeped in blood and terror. His war stories must make you vomit~” Any anger she may have felt quickly gave way to fearful unease, and Nerr quickly backed away from the older woman, her heart pounding.

 

“...I'm leaving now.”

“Oh. Alright. If you need to speak about the troops again, you know where to find me, milady.” Knowing where to find Yuugiri wasn't the problem; she was far more worried about the other woman being able to find _her_ , no matter where she went. She could just see the crazed lunatic leaning over her in the dead of night, the first and last thing she saw as she opened her eyes and became a splash on a wall. Perhaps that was why Jakob found her standing outside her own door, having spent several long, long minutes fighting with herself to go inside. There could be an assassin in there... but there was most assuredly a murderer out _here_.

 

“Milady? Is something wrong?”

“No!” She answered far too quickly, too loudly. The butler side-eyed her as he too approached the door, holding a tray laden with a tea set.

“Then perhaps your door has become stuck fast? It seems the wood in this horrid building is prone to warping, just like the damned Citadel...” “N-no... It's fine. I just...” She trailed off, pushing the door open with a shaking hand. There wasn't anything in there, she told herself. Nothing was going to jump out at her and stab her in the face... And of course, she was absolutely right. There was nothing but her clothes and few belongings and what little furniture had always been there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stepped inside, collapsing into the only chair. Jakob followed her, setting the tray onto her nightstand. At least, he would have, had there been space. He stood there in silence, staring down at the table as Nerr waited for her erratic pulse to calm. She was so caught up in her own foolishness that she didn't even realize his own odd behavior.

 

“Hmm? What's wrong, Jakob?” Another beat of silence before he turned to her.

“Nothing, milady. I'm just surprised you still have this book, is all.” It dawned on her suddenly, and she jumped to her feet, sweeping everything from the nightstand onto the bed to make space, including her filthy, dog-eared copy of _The Prideful Princess_.

“Oh, I'm sorry about that. I keep forgetting how messy I am.” The steward shook his head primly, finally setting down the tray and setting about heating the cup.

“You've nothing to apologize for, Lady Nerr. I simply didn't want to move anything because you had left your book open. I assumed you were on a particular passage.” She waved her hand flippantly.

 

“Who cares? I know the whole damn thing by heart.”

“And yet you still read it. I remember reading it several times at your behest in our youth, and honestly, I'd grown rather bored with it at once.” Jakob muttered, more to himself than her. There was silence once more, the only sound filling the room the gentle clinking of spoons on the cup, not at all like the fine porcelain they had at the Citadel. Nerr watched the steam rising from her cup as Jakob poured water into it, lifting the pot higher and higher and somehow not spilling a single drop. If she didn't know any better, she'd have sworn it was magic. “... _he_ bought that book for you, didn't he? The old man?” She tore her eyes away from the darkening liquid, looking to her butler. He wasn't looking at her, too engrossed in his current task.

 

“Yes?”

“Of course. He's given you many gifts over the years. Including that hairpin you seem so fond of... even though we were all in accord that we didn't have time to get you proper gifts, otherwise all of us would have presented you with something--”

“Didn't you bake me a cake?” Jakob paused, a spoon laden with sugar poised over the cup.

“That hardly qualifies--”

 

“It qualifies plenty. You know I love cake. And kugelhopf is my favorite. And you decorated it with all those little flowers, even though I ate it too quickly to really pay them much mind... If you think I don't appreciate that, Jakob, you're wrong.” She reached out, placing her hand atop his. “Perhaps I don't say it often enough, but I appreciate everything you ever have done, and ever will do, for me.” He dropped the spoon, splashing tea across everything as he turned to face her completely.

“Lady Nerr, I-- I... ...I worry that you may dismiss me...” She laughed aloud. It was cruel, given the sorrow, the misery in his eyes, but it was such a silly, non-issue to her that she couldn't help herself.

“What? Why would you even consider such a thing?”

 

“It would appear that the old man is better suited to see to your needs than I am. Especially out here. Perhaps I could be of use in a castle, but on the battlefield, a butler is superfluous. You don't need me. You've never needed me...” Nerr sobered quickly, reaching up and taking the older man's face in her hands.

“Jakob... that is, without a doubt, the stupidest thought you have ever had.”

“I'm being serious, milady!”

“So am I! You are the exact inverse of 'superfluous'. You are very fluous! You are a necessity that I don't think I could live without. Without you, I'd starve to death. I'd bleed to death. I know that sounds like you're just a cook and healer, but you're not! You are a friend, a confidant, one of the only people in all the world I trust absolutely.” He shook his head.

 

“I'm your butler.”

“You're a part of my life. An important part, and you have been since the day I met you. ...I need my boys. Both of them. I'd fall to pieces otherwise.” Dark indigo eyes gleamed with unshed tears as he raised his head to look at her.

“Lady Nerr, that's-- I--” He quickly looked away again, gasping in horror as he noticed the spilled tea. “I'm a gods' damned imbecile! Oh, do forgive me, milady! I'll have this cleaned up at once!” Nerr sighed as she watched his frantic attempts to mop up the tiny puddles.

“I think I need to order you to rest, Jakob. You're worrying about nothing, and it's frying your brain.” He paused once more, glaring at her.

“Absolutely not. Out of the question. This is what I do. This is what I _am_. To ask me to stop is to take away my very purpose; you may as well ask a fire not to burn.”

 

“I just want you to take a break...” She said quietly, earning a derisive scoff from the steward.

“ 'Breaks' are for lesser mortals.”

 

What did that make her? She found herself dwelling on that as the days passed. No matter what she did, it always felt like it wasn't enough. Going with Camilla to an armory and distributing new weapons to her motley crew, counting and recounting their supplies, pouring over her map to make sure she had their route planned to the mile... For every one task she accomplished, her mind told her there were three more someone _better_ could do. ' _You do the bare minimum and expect praise..._ ' that voice sneered at her, leading her wake in the middle of the night. Were she at home, she could have gone to the library and poured through the tactical handbooks Leo had given her. Gods above, why hadn't she thought to pack of _them_ when she'd left the Citadel? ...well, because she hadn't expected to wind up in Hoshido at the time, she reminded herself. She was supposed to go right back home, not end up in the south, with naught but a handful of soldiers ill-equipped to deal with any threat, let alone one on a divine scale.

 

And yet, no matter how many times she told herself that, it never stuck. And as a result, the amount of sleep she got each night diminished more and more, until she was back to her walking dead state from those early days in Hoshido. Perhaps that was why she found herself sitting in front of her window the last night they were scheduled to stay in Cyrkensia. They only had two weeks to get to the Chasm, more than enough time, but it felt like a minute. Her newly smithed breastplate lay in her lap, gleaming and not at all requiring her to do anything, yet still she polished it absentmindedly, staring through the glass. Any shadow could be someone, a disgruntled soldier, a relative of someone her actions caused (or seemed to cause) the death of... Anyone could be waiting for her to blink before they burst in and slit her throat, or wrapped their hands around it and simply choked the life from her. She wouldn't have even noticed. She had worked herself into a trance, her mind drowsing as her hands moved and eyes blinked, to the point that she barely noticed a knock on the door as it opened behind her, before clicking shut.

 

“If you're going to sit so close to the window, you should at least draw the curtains, my lady. It's freezing in here.” She gave a noncommittal grunt, but made no attempt to get up. The bed creaked. “You should go to bed, Nerr. It's the last chance to actually be warm at night you're going to have for a long time.” He wasn't wrong... It still wasn't enough to spur her into action, though. A sigh, and the bed creaked again. Gunther walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Even though the draconic voice in her mind told her she was being ridiculous, she couldn't shake the thought that it would be so easy for him to just crush her head like a rotting apple...

 

“What weighs so heavily on your mind, my little ladyship?” _'Everything...'_ Gods, but that sounded pathetic even in her own mind.

“Nothing. I'm just thinking about tomorrow.”

“I remember a time when it would be a miracle to see you thinking five minutes to the future.” Despite the lightheartedness of his words, they dug into her, a harsh accusation. That was who she had been for too long, a silly little chit who thought “let the devil take tomorrow” and never developed a sense of urgency as a result. Until it was too late. Until there was no one else to pick up what she dropped and she had to scramble to try and make plans even though she'd always assumed Leo and Xander would be around to do that for her--

 

“Really? Not even a frown or a huff?” The knight's voice cut through her frantic self flagellation.

“Huh? What?”

“It seems you've more important things to think about than my teasing, my lady. I'll not disturb you any longer. Perhaps Dame Yuugiri would be up to chat--” Nerr got to her feet so quickly she turned over her chair, gripping the front of Gunther's shirt until she was certain the wool was tearing under the force of her fingers.

“Don't you fucking dare.”

“Why, are you jealous, Nerr?”

 

“No!” That sounded like a weak denial even to her own ears. “That woman is fucking crazy!” To her surprise, the older man didn't argue with her. Instead, he sighed wearily.

“Believe me, I know.”

“Wait, what?”

“I can never have a moment's peace from her. She clings to me like a second, far more bloodthirsty, shadow.” Nerr released him, cautiously picking up both her chair and breastplate, though she never took her eyes off the knight.

 

“I've seen you two speaking on more than one occasion...”

“No,” Gunther walked back over to the bed, sitting heavily atop the comforters. “You've seen _her_ speaking to _me_. Mostly trying to convince me to either fight her to the death, or else, regal her with tales of other men I've fought to the death.” That was... surprisingly _not_ what she had expected their conversations to be about. Whenever she saw the two of them together, she assumed they were indeed reliving their past, but in a more therapeutic way that led to bonding, which could easily lead to something _else_.

“So... you aren't... taken with her?” He stared at her, mouth agape, in utter bemusement. It was like seeing a rainbow over the Citadel; so rare, she'd have thought it a myth had she not born witness to it with her own eyes.

 

“I'd like to take her and throw her off a cliff. Do you know what that lunatic's first words to me were? 'Spinning backslash, coming at you!'” Nerr shook her head, utterly nonplussed until he clarified, his words slow and calculated. “When we reached the port in Hoshido. She came at me... with a lance... and tried to decapitate me. I blocked her- which is why I'm not dead- and she had the audacity to smile at me. And tell me 'good job!'. ...as you can imagine, I don't much care for her after that.” The princess stared at him, dumb stricken... until she burst out laughing.

 

“Oh my gods...! All this time, I thought you were falling in love with her! I was infuriated! I thought 'what is _wrong_ with you!?'!” She stumbled over to the bed and collapsed upon it, still laughing.

“Well, now you know better. I thought it clear the only woman I'd ever let threaten to kill me is _you_ , Nerr... partially because I'm still confident you _can't_.” She quieted at once, looking up at him.

“Do you want to put your coin where your mouth is?”

“Unfortunately, I fear my purse has been all but wiped out in these last few days, and I've nary a coin to my name.”

 

“I thought you had a tab at the smithy?”

“I do, but that wasn't where my money went.” Gunther reached for a small sack sitting on the bed that she hadn't noticed until just then, pulling from it's depths a leather girdle, similar to his own sword belt, only dangling from the chain at it's middle was a familiar large aquamarine stone.

“My dragon stone!”

 

“I've often seen you fumbling to reach it. Such a precious commodity shouldn't be tucked haphazardly into your cuirass, or left lying on a chair where errant knights can easily snatch it without you noticing.” She took it from him, smiling more at the the silver embroidered onto the leather than her stone.

“That's so practical! Thank you!” The older man chuckled lightly.

“Considering how much my lady has come to value practicality over the last few years, I have to wonder if you'll be as pleased with my other gift.” She let the belt drop onto her stomach as she tried to focus on what he held over her face. It was so tiny, she could barely make it out between his fingers, despite how delicately he held it. She reached out to take it from him as well.

 

“What is this, some kind of...” She trailed off as she finally made out the form of a ring. It was simple, amazingly so- a thin gold circle no thicker than a piece of wire, set with a small, rough stone that faded from dark purple to pale green. “It's a ring.”

“Very good, my lady. It is, in fact.” Gunther slid off the bed, kneeling on the floor as she quickly sat up. The way he stared at her left her feeling like glass; something he could see through and completely shatter without a second thought. “There's a horrid voice in my mind that keeps telling me this is far too soon... and I have to remind myself, audibly at times, that I have known you all your life. This is no whirlwind romance I've found myself swept up in- indeed, I don't think I'm actually capable of such things. What I feel for you grew over years until it's all but consumed me. I've known hundreds, if not thousands of women in my life, Nerr. And I've forgotten damn near all of them. Because they don't matter to me. They never have and never could.” He took her hands into his own, engulfing them in warmth that felt like it could sear her to the bone.

 

“You matter more to me than life itself, my lady. Not just my life- _all_ life. There is nothing, no one, I wouldn't sacrifice for your sake... I swore my loyalty to you once as a knight. Let me do so again as your husband.” It took all of Nerr's willpower to keep her expression composed, which left none to stem the tears flowing freely over her cheeks and lips.

“I owe you so much, Gunther...” She whispered miserably as he caressed her jawline.

“You owe me _nothing_.”

“I owe you every breath I take. ...and if you would have this silly, incompetent girl for a bride, I would gladly spend the rest of my life trying to repay you.” She choked on her sobs as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was barely noticeable, but she felt it as though it had overtaken her entire hand. Sniffling pitifully, she tried to wipe her eyes, but no sooner than she did did the tears flow anew. Lifting himself to sit back beside her, Gunther moved her hand away, pressing his lips to her damp cheek.

 

“The only thing I would ever ask you do to repay me is smile, my lady. Nothing more.” It took quite a bit of effort, more than she was willing to admit, but she finally managed to stop sobbing long enough to actually let her happiness shine through her tears.

000

 

The morning in Cyrkensia was dark and dreary, made even darker from the snow that was falling. It was light, but the heavy clouds blocked out what little sun might have otherwise graced them. With it so dark, the candles lit around her room barely making a dent in the shadows, Nerr found her eyes drifting shut over and over again. It wasn't until her head fell forward and her scalp was tugged sharply that she woke up, if only for a few seconds before the process repeated.

 

“For the gods' sake, Nerr, keep your head up.”

“I'm trying!” She whined, letting her chin come to rest against the cold steel of her breastplate. Gunther jerked her head back by the hair he held, the tiny surface area concentrating the pain.

“I'm not going to do this if you won't at least meet me halfway.”

“You're an ass! You know full well how tired I am. _Flora_ let me sleep when she did my hair!”

“Amazingly, I'm not Flora. And I'm just as tired as you. Wake up.” Crying weakly, the princess reached up to prop her head with her hands as her betrothed continued braiding her hair.

 

“I should have just gone to Jakob for this.”

“Jakob is busy helping load our supplies.” He told her tersely, adding under his breath, “Like he's somehow better than me...”

“Well, he _is_ the one who used to do my hair before Flora and Felicia came to us.”

“And who do you think _taught_ him how to do that? Who do you think taught him how to do _anything?_ Not those worthless parents of his, that's for certain.” Nerr found herself smiling at how fired up the knight had become.

“You must be proud, having raised him to be such a talented, outstanding young man.”

“I raised him to be a disrespectful pain in my ass, apparently.” Her smile dimmed as her thoughts drifted.

 

“You _did_ teach Jakob how to do my hair... I vaguely remember _you_ used to do it when we were both little, and his as well.” She turned to look at him. “How did you learn such a thing?”

“By practicing on my sisters.” Nerr's stomach dropped to her feet as Gunther turned her head back to the front.

“ _Sisters?!_ You-- You have sisters?”

“Is it _that_ surprising? I seem to recall that you have sisters as well, Nerr. Many of them.” Questions swirled around her mind, colliding with one another, melding into a nebulous mass she could hardly make heads or tails of.

 

“What are their names? Are they older or younger than you? Are they married? Ahh... do you have nieces and nephews!? Grand nieces and nephews? Are any my age? Why didn't you ever tell me about them before?! Oh, you have to tell me everything now!” Her heart was pounding, her emotions as convoluted as her thoughts. Confusion, excitement, anger- mostly at herself. Gods, why was she so self-centered? She could ask about what weather was like in Windmire, but she never thought to ask if there was any family he might be missing while he was locked away in the Northern Citadel babysitting her?? Though, in all honesty, Nerr was certain she would not have wanted to hear that any other women came before her, even if they were his flesh and blood... In stark contrast to her almost jittery excitement, Gunther remained calm, stony even. He said nothing as he drew her hair to the side of her head, tying it up high. The longer the silence went unbroken, the more her anticipation turned from happy to awkward. “...Gunther?”

 

“Their names were Giselher and Kriemhild. They were both younger than me. They had about a dozen children between them. ...they died a very long time ago.” It felt as though she had swallowed a large clump of ice, chilling her as it stuck in her throat. His words were monotonous, but the underlying anger in his voice struck her almost as much as the fact itself.

“I... I'm so sorry, my love...”

“Don't be, dearest. It's not _your_ fault they're dead.” There was something in his tone that made it difficult to fully believe that... It was a grim way to start the morning, and it clung to her even as she packed her things and made her way downstairs to meet the others.

 

“Is everyone ready?” She asked, trying her newly fitted scabbard to her sword belt.

“The horses are saddled, and we're ready when you are.” Silas proclaimed with an energy she was envious of. Jakob approached her, taking the new heavy cape from her arm.

“Allow me to help you with that, milady.” She straightened as he affixed it to her cuirass. After so long wearing the bare minimum, she nearly buckled under the weight of proper armor, even though there was still much less than she had spent years growing accustomed to. Nothing more than cuirass and pauldrons and greaves- even though the rest of her was covered in well layered scale mail, the absence of solid plates still left her feeling naked. Or perhaps it was simply her ragged nerves getting the better of her. She could have been encased in steel so thick it was impossible to move, and she was certain even then, it would feel like enough to prepare her for what lay in store. Inhaling deeply, Nerr addressed the group.

 

“I know that something as abstract as 'saving the world' may not resonate with those dealing with the much more singular threat of having your homeland overtaken. I cannot promise you that Hoshido will not take heavy casualties and damage even if we succeed in convincing both Xander and Ryouma to cease hostilities. In fact, I can all but assure you that Garon will continue his conquest in spite of such a thing. I do not fight for Hoshido's freedom, but rather, it's continued existence. And if you- any of you- feel that repelling Garon's forces from your homeland is a more important task, all I ask is that you tell me now. When we get to the Chasm, you are free to return to your fellow soldiers, but I would rather know ahead of time.” The group remained silent, the Nohrians amongst them eying the Hoshidans expectantly.

 

“Are you honestly asking if we're going to stab you in the back?!” Hana exclaimed angrily.

“I'm aware it's not the kind of thing most people would admit to, but--”

/ “How can you be this stupid?” Oboro sneered. “It's pretty obvious that we follow Takumi-sama, and he's the most loyal man ever.” The prince in question flushed, but didn't look displeased with his retainer's praise.

“She's right. If I was going to kill you, I wouldn't have spent two months running across the continent just to do it in the most dramatic way possible.” Azura approached her, placing her hand on the other princess' shoulder.

“I don't think we have to worry about loyalty here, Nerr.”

 

“Good. Because I'd rather not have to worry about accidentally killing any of you.” Taking one last moment to soak in as much warmth as she could, Nerr lead the others outside, the icy wind immediately stealing her heat. Those with mounts gathered them from the stables while the others headed towards the city gates. She stood between both groups, her gaze darting from one to another. The last thing they needed was for some horrible, catastrophic event to occur before they even set out. Sighing deeply, she focused for a moment instead on the cloud formed by her breath as heavy hooves and the familiar clank of barding approached.

 

“You should ride, Nerr.” She shook her head.

“I'm fine to walk.”

“Just because you _can_ doesn't mean you _should_. Commanders always ride, my lady. When your soldiers look up to you literally, it makes them more inclined to look up to you figuratively as well.”

“...that actually makes a lot of sense.” Gunther smiled, picking her up and sitting her in the saddle, the corners of his lips turning up even more, drawing the lines around them even deeper.

 

“There... you look every bit the regal commander I always thought you would be.”

“Stop it.” She whispered, what little heat she had left pooling in her cheeks. “No one's going to take me seriously if I'm blushing like a milk maid.”

“Perhaps not, but I daresay the sight of you all rosie-cheeked would inspire every one of these milk sop boys to fight twice as hard for your honor.” That was enough to kill her embarrassment. The princess scoffed.

“Sure they would... You and Jakob are the only men I intrinsically trust to not dessert me if push came to shove.” Speak of the devil, her steward was just walking past. “Ready to go back to hell, Jakob?” He smiled up at her, looking effortlessly polished, his livery hidden beneath thick cloaks.

 

“I am prepared to circumnavigate perdition the moment you request it of me, milady.”

“Try to actually keep up this time.” Gunther needled him lightly. At once, the amicability in Jakob's eyes dried up, leaving only hard, indigo stones.

“Bite my ass, old man.” He too took off towards the gates without another word. While the knight merely rolled his eyes, Nerr could not help the disquiet churning in her gut. Bickering was nothing new, but gods what she wouldn't give for just a day of everyone getting along perfectly... Once everyone had passed them and the fliers had taken to the sky, he led Caractacus to follow the others. She looked over her shoulder as they neared the city borders. The Grand Palais was barely visible from this far, but she could just make out what remained of the domed roof. She wondered if they could simply rebuild what had been damaged in the attack, or if they would have to tear the entire structure down and start anew. All her life, she'd dreamed of visiting it, of going inside and seeing one of their performances. Hopefully one day, when the war was over and if Anankos had been vanquished and she was still alive at that point, they would have rebuilt and she would be able to experience what everyone all her life had told her existed within it's walls.

000

 

Even with the snow and sleet, Cyrkensia had been a temperate paradise compared to the rest of Nohr. With every mile they traveled northeast, the snow grew deeper, the wind harsher, and the terrain more inhospitable. The thick forests did nothing to shield them from the blinding storms, only serving to impede their journey by making them find alternate routes. During the rare times the weather was not actively forcing them back, they still could not move freely, the deep snow they plowed through not just inconveniencing them but their mounts as well. Despite wyverns being almost worthless in cold weather, it was Tsubaki and Yuugiri's mounts that proved to fare the worst. They were not suited for the harsh cold of Nohr, unable to fly for more than a few minutes at a time in the gales and too delicate to withstand standing in the snow. While Caractacus and Silas' and Elise's horses had grown their winter coats, Tsubaki's poor pegasus had to rely on multiple blankets as he was led through the cold. The massive golden bird was even worse off, fluffing up it's feathers in vain as it's entire body shook. Were Camilla and Elise not with them, Nerr was absolutely certain both creatures would have perished. The elder princess could summon large fires when they made camp, though they exhausted her magic rapidly. Those Elise cast were smaller, but she could set multiple things ablaze and keep them all going for hours. The warmth radiating from those impromptu torches was probably all that kept them from freezing solid as they walked, and the Hoshidans expressed their gratitude.

 

“I never realized something as simple as traveling could be so difficult in Nohr...” Tsubaki mused bitterly, rubbing his steed's wing when they stopped to make camp one night. “It would never occur to me that I might need to know magic simply to survive here.”

“That's why _we_ don't get conquered.” Camilla intoned proudly as she fed her wyvern chunks of frost-covered meat. “It's a tale as old as time; small nations thought they could easily invade a desolate kingdom, weren't prepared for the weather, and all their soldiers died in the ensuing siege. I do think that's how we acquired Nestra in the last century. Is that right, Nerr?”

 

“ _Huh? What? W_ _e did w_ _hat?_ ” The princess looked up from the ground she was clearing. Only a fool would use her hands, but she had nothing else, so she compromised by letting her limbs elongate, the skin thickening. It was still cold- honestly, it might have been colder with her draconic skin- but the harsh sting bothered her less like this. _“What are we talking about?”_ The lilac-haired princess frowned slightly.

“Don't ruin your hands by shuffling them about in the dirt, dearest. That's what the worthless men you tolerate are for.”

“ _...funny, I don't see_ _King Garon_ _here._ ” She drawled coldly. _“_ _Nor do I see_ _ **your**_ _retainers doing much either.”_ It was true that the younger of the two was using her ax to split some wood, but the other, the one who knew more about Anankos than she was telling, mostly just stood off to the side, shivering and looking grumpy. She flinched at Nerr's accusation.

 

“Hey, my duty is to protect Lady Camilla, not shovel snow.” Jakob, who had been passing her as he brought a bundle of kindling into the camp, paused.

“Perhaps you should reconsider the latter, given that you're not very adept at the former. Unless it's already slipped your mind that a _maid_ nearly spelled the end of you liege.” The color rose in her cheeks as she glared at him.

“Y-you're an asshole!”

“That was never in question. Your ability to serve as protector of the second princess of Nohr, however, _is_.”

 

 _“_ _It_ _ **is**_ _a curious thing...”_ Nerr mused, flexing her fingers and willing them to return to their normal size as her teeth grew back in. “ _I wonder how someone so fam_ iliar with Anankos came into the Nohrian royal family's service in the first place. He doesn't exactly hail from a place with a sprawling population.”

“That's easy, dear. Father selected her himself, along with her companions to serve as Xander and Leo's new retainers. I wasn't there to see it, but I was told they all but eviscerated the other soldiers there to apply as retainers as well. He said it was as though they too had the blood of dragons, and that was what made them so powerful.” Despite the princess singing her praises, Selena looked incredibly uncomfortable, probably due to the suspicious, if not downright hostile looks she was getting.

 

“So you know of Anankos _and_ you have traits of dragon's blood?” The teal-haired girl posed.

“L-lots of places have dragons!”

“That's true.” Azura conceded, though her eyes were still narrowed in distrust. “And they _do_ sell dragon's blood, though I hear it's usually stolen from the royal families and costs and exorbitant amount of money. Who would be _that_ desperate to get close to the royal family?” The red-haired girl rounded on Azura, her eyes flashing in anger.

“If you're suggesting that I'm plotting something to hurt the royal family, you can kiss my ass, lady! My loyalty to Lady Camilla is absolute!”

 

“Awww!” Camilla approached her retainer, drawing her into a tight hug. “You're so sweet, Selena, I could just squeeze you to death! I know you would never lie to me.” Nerr shook her head, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

“I can't believe _I'm_ the one to say this, but you are too trusting, Sister. If she knows about Anankos, she most likely knows what he's capable of, and when you see it yourself, you might question why she didn't feel the need to warn you.” Despite her sister's miffed expression at her condemnation of her retainer, the retainer in question didn't look at all vindicated. She hung her head, avoiding the draconic princess' gaze, even as they all huddled around the fire.

 

Shivering, they all gravitated towards one another, mostly in small groups, though a few, like Kaze and Shura, still kept to themselves. Crushed between Gunther and Jakob, Nerr could see the Citadel's kitchen perfectly in her mind when she closed her eyes, could even hear the high pitched whistle as wind found it's way in through the tiniest cracks in the centuries old masonry. The only differences between then and now was that Jakob's head was far heavier on her shoulder, Gunther's arms around her were no longer platonic, and more than a decade ago, Elise hadn't been born yet, much less old enough to crawl in her lap and join their huddle. She didn't mind- the young princess was like a warm pillow to hug- but it definitely seemed like Sakura might have, unless those frequent glances and frowns were due to something else. That might have been why she scooted away from the retainers that were trying to cocoon her and wrapped Azura's arm (and more importantly, her hair) around herself.

 

“So,” Takumi began after a long time. “How are we actually supposed to get to this Anankos guy to stop him?”

“We jump into the Infinite Chasm.” Azura answered without missing a beat.

“And... that _won't_ kill us?”

“It hasn't killed me. Or Nerr, or Jakob, or Sir Gunther. As long as we get there before the skies change, we won't have to worry about anything more than a few bumps and bruises.” Elise craned her head back to look at her sister, frowning.

“So we're gonna order hundreds of soldiers to jump into the Chasm to look for an Anankos?”

 

“No.” Nerr shook her head, staring into the fire. Despite being mostly red and yellow, the color it was _supposed_ to be, she could still see flickers of the violet that spoke of it's magical origins. “The place we're going is.. volatile, to say the least. The last thing we need is for hundreds of people to fall into a strange, nightmare land and run off cliffs as a result. To say nothing of how we would have supplies for that many people. Only a small party of us will go, at least at first. Once we have our bearings, and figure out where exactly a god hides, _then_ we can bring in reinforcements.”

“I-is it really scary, nee-sama?” Sakura whispered fearfully. The singer rubbed her arm reassuringly.

“It's... different. It's not like what you're used to here. It's a lot like the area around Chasm itself, really. It's desolate. It doesn't look like a place people could live... but they _could_. At least, they could have a long time ago...”

 

“Now, only ghosts dwell in those lands...” Gunther's voice was so quiet, Nerr was certain she was the only one who heard him. He'd said something like that before, she remembered, and the chill in his voice was the same now as it had been then. Despite going further north, the closer to the Chasm they got, the less fierce the blizzards grew. As they crossed over into the wastes, the ground broke apart into large crags and the gnarled trees spread out enough for them to see the sky. Every day, the rich blue of the morning sky was laced with just a bit more gold, the stars at night just a little harder to see.

 

Nerr desperately wished she wasn't such an obvious sight, sitting high atop a massive courser. Everyone could see her breath quickening as the drew closer to the divide. They could see her hands shaking, her sickly pallor. Even though there was no danger from falling into the massive canyons, mere proximity to the Chasm made her want to run in the other direction. A group of Hoshidan scouts had been a terrifying thing to happen upon months ago; how would she deal with two armies? The only thing that _somewhat_ consoled her was that she wasn't the only one who grew more discomforted as they approached their destination. Every mile they put behind them saw her knight's mood grow darker and darker. She could smell the anger, the misery, surrounding him, growing stronger and more acrid as they passed by ancient husks of timber and bricks half buried in the soil.

 

“What is this place?” Elise had asked once, steering her palfrey around a sheet of rusted metal. Nerr looked at Gunther expectantly- after all, he seemed to have some idea of where they were, but the older man remained staunchly silent, his jaw tight. That night, he was noticeably absent from their camp fires. She picked her way over tangled vines and clinging brambles, deeper into the woods until the glow of the fire looked as small as a candle flame. With his dark armor, he blended into the shadows of the gnarled trees, his fair locks the only thing that stood out.

 

“It's cold out here, dearest.” She spoke quietly, as though he were a forest creature that might spook. “Wouldn't you be more comfortable by the fire?”

“Fire won't ward off this chill, Nerr...” His voice, for all it's bitterness, sounded hollow. “There is no flame, there is no _light_ , that can ever shine through in this place. The night in Nohr brings peace, but here, the night is dark and full of terrors...” His words made her skin crawl, the way they used to when he told her and Jakob stories of wailing ghosts that ripped people to shreds. But he wasn't trying to scare her now. He barely seemed to acknowledge her presence, staring deep into the gloom. She walked closer, placing her hand on his arm.

 

“What is this place that you hate it so, Gunther?”

“It's many things, my lady. A graveyard. Another shard of Nohr lost to the annals of time. My home.” The careless indifference with which he spoke brought bile into her mouth. She swallowed.

“You... lived here?”

“It didn't always look like this, Nerr. Nothing started out as ruins. It was alive back then, a sprawling village filled with happy families and laughing children...” Gunther smiled as he spoke, a rictus grin that that looked more like a grimace. “And then Garon came and took it all away...” Nerr stared up at him, paying the tears that left freezing trails down her cheeks no mind.

 

“Why didn't you tell me...?” She asked, a pitiful whisper that had no business sounding as hurt as it did. “Did you not think I would sympathize with you?” He reached out, drying her eyes tenderly.

“Of course you would, my love. You feel so deeply, especially when it comes to miserable, broken things. You would pity me, and weep, and feel terrible. And what would that accomplish?” His hand dropped, his gaze hardening. “What would your tears do that mine haven't already? Feeling badly won't give my people, my _family,_ the justice they deserve. I even sought out that charlatan Rainbow Sage seeking _something_ that would help me exact the vengeance Garon so rightfully deserves, anything... _He_ got power. _He_ got a kingdom, a family. I lost what little I had and got _nothing._ ” The knight walked away from her, twigs snapping underfoot. Nerr wanted nothing more than to run back to the others, to get away from this horrible place that brought out the worst in her retainer. She might have, once. But as she wrung her hands together, she felt the tiny gold band under her gloves, the lilac and green stone at it's apex. Sniffling, she wiped her face and took off after him. She had to run to keep up with his long strides, but she managed to reach him, grabbing the sleeve of his surcoat and pulling him back.

 

“Don't you run away from me!” Gunther sighed deeply, a miserable sound that made her heart bleed.

“Just leave me be, Nerr--”

“No!” She forcibly turned him around. “Maybe some old draconic relic couldn't help you, but you don't have 'nothing'. You have _me_. And if you think all I'm capable of doing is crying and feeling bad, then... you're stupid and I'm insulted on your behalf.” Grumbling under her breath, she pulled off her glove, holding it under her chin as she unsheathed the Yato. Violet eyes eyes narrowed in confusion.

 

“What are you--” His voice caught in his throat as she brought the golden blade to her palm, slicing deep into the skin. The pale blue light emanating from the sword reflected in the blood pooling in her hand. “Wha... Nerr, what are you doing?!”

“Dragon's blood.” She said as calmly as she could, trying to act as though her nerves _hadn't_ been set ablaze by the razor's edge severing her flesh. “The power of gods. You want power, my love? I'll give you every drop of blood in my body and more.” Gunther recoiled from her, the lines of his face etched deep with fear and disgust.

“I-- I don't--”

“You don't want it?” She lowered her hand, blood running down her fingers as she gazed up at him, hurt. “It's not good enough for you?”

 

“That's not what I mean--”

“I'm not Garon! I'm not demanding your loyalty; you won't owe me anything! I want to help you, Gunther! Why won't you let me help you?!” The princess gasped for breath, trying to calm herself. Maybe getting worked up while she was bleeding wasn't a smart idea. Her betrothed's words, in contrast to her heated candor, were cool, dodging her question.

“What makes you even think that would do anything for me, Nerr?”

“What makes you think the dragon's blood in the castle's treasury would do anything? The only difference between what Garon offered you and what I'm offering you is that _this,_ ” She held up her crimson hand. “Is fresh and I can prove it comes from a dragon.” She couldn't tell if he was still doubtful of her claim, or else, simply disgusted, but the knight stepped closer regardless, taking her hand and lifting it up.

 

“...you would give me so precious a gift?”

“I would give you everything. My blood, my flesh, my soul... there is no part of me that isn't yours.” Her tender smile faltered a bit. “...how much blood does it take for a to receive the benefits, do you think?”

“The vial Garon offered me wasn't too large, so... perhaps a mouthful or two?”

“What if that's not enough? That blood came from the Ancient Ones, and I'm... not very ancient.” Nerr covered her eyes dramatically, looking away even as she did so. “Very well. Take as much as you need. Drink from me, suck me dry--”

 

“Nerr. Stop. Just... this is already very strange; it doesn't need a sexual aspect as well.” He may have said as much, but his breath against her palm as he spoke made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She shuddered as he pressed his lips to the cut, a faint suction against her skin even as the gaping flesh began knitting itself together. Nerr's cheeks burned as he laved her palm and fingers with his tongue, lapping up the quickly drying blood. It was... more sexual than she had anticipated, shivers tingling her spine every time his teeth scraped against her skin. Gunther pulled away from her suddenly, and her eyes snapped open as he groaned in anguish.

“Gunther? What is it? What's wrong?!”

“Tastes like... _burning_...!!” He doubled over, clutching at his chest. Terror and dread filled her as she belatedly recalled the burning she felt when she transformed, a heat which was always accompanied by flesh tearing and bones breaking.

 

“Oh gods, oh gods, please don't turn into a monster...!” She rubbed his arm, one of the few spots not hidden beneath armor, hoping that maybe if he relaxed it wouldn't lead to the horrors she endured when she was upset. Perhaps one of the gods took pity on them, as after several long, torturous seconds, he straightened, his face flushed, sweat beading at his hairline but still decidedly human.

“Oh... Oh, _fuck me_ , that was _horrible!_ I'd heard it was bad, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad!”

“I'm sorry!” She cried, still rubbing his arm. “I didn't think it would hurt you! I'm sorry!!” He captured her hand, stilling it.

 

“Don't be.” Lifting her fingers to his lips, still tinted red, he pressed a gently kiss to the calloused pads. “You are good to me, Nerr. Indeed, far better than I deserve. I should be the one who's sorry, if your blood causes you half the pain it caused me.”

“It doesn't hurt that bad.” She lied. “...do you feel any different?” The older man shook his head, reaching his free hand up to sweep back the hair that had fallen into his face.

“I feel like I've just had boiling oil poured down my gullet... but other than that, no. Everything feels the same as before.” Nerr's face fell.

“It didn't work? Maybe you need more--”

 

“No!” Gunther cleared his throat, pushing her damp hand away lightly. “No. That's... not necessary. Perhaps there's simply... nothing to feel. After all, despite being a manakete, _you've_ never proclaimed to feel strange.” He was right, but the younger girl still frowned.

“Maybe it takes a few days. When we come across a Dragon Vein, _you_ can try to activate it.” He smiled at her, a small but true smile this time, nothing like his miserable look from earlier.

“I can try. For now, though, we should probably get back. I can only imagine what the others think we're doing out here.”

“In _this_ cold? They probably think I cut you open and crawled inside you for warmth.” She turned to head back to camp, but a firm hand around her wrist stopped her. Maybe she was just imagining things, but it almost felt like his grip was stronger. “What is it?”

 

“I cannot demand anything of you, my lady, but... I would appreciate it if you keep the things I've told you to yourself.” Nerr frowned, turning back around to face him.

“Why? Don't you think that's the kind of thing people should know? Knowing that Garon destroys his own villages will make people stop following him--”

“No.” Gunther shook his head slowly. “No, it won't. The soldiers he brought to burn my village to the ground didn't turn away from him nearly forty years ago, and those that razed Chevalier didn't turn away from him last month. They don't care- nobody has ever cared. The normal people are either taken in by his power, or held in their place by fear. Do you think his children will be any different? ...I don't need to hear Princess Camilla find excuses for why my family deserved to die; I heard enough of that from Garon himself.” The bitter hatred had crept back into his voice, leaving Nerr shrinking back even though he wasn't even looking at her.

 

“...alright. I won't say anything...” The older man bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Thank you, my dearest darling. I know I can trust you.” She felt no reassurance, however, a deep discomfort brewing in the pit of her stomach as she watched him return to camp. She dropped her gaze to her hand, the cut she'd made closed, only a thick line remaining, dark against her otherwise pale skin. The metallic tang in the air made her mouth water.

 

Swallowing hard, Nerr stuck her fingers in her mouth to clean what blood was left from them. She felt like a child, sucking her thumb in a desperate bid for comfort, more disgusted by that than her actual actions (though the realization that she was licking off her beloved's saliva more than her own blood added a different dimension to her embarrassment). She wouldn't have noticed the way she was chewing on her fingers had the sudden flash of light not caused her to bite down exceptionally hard as she started. Was it a spell? Was it Iago? Fumbling to raise her sword as she tried to see, a soft voice called out in her mind.

 

|Lady Nerr, calm down! It's only me.| Despite the familiarity, the princess didn't relax until she saw the firelight reflecting on Lilith's scales. Exhaling deeply, she let her hands fall to her sides, quickly sheathing her blade.

“Gods... you know that's terrifying from this side, right?”

|I'm sorry, milady. I _really_ don't want to even be out here, but...| She trailed off, turning away from the other girl. For a moment, Nerr worried that she might be upset, but then she noticed the smaller dragon's head was turned up. She was looking at something to the east.

 

“What is it? Lilith? What's wrong?” The former equerry remained silent for a long time, finally turning around. Her face looked the same as always, but her voice... her voice sounded terrified.

|Please don't go to the Chasm, Lady Nerr! Bad things happen there; they _always_ happen there...|

“I...” She shook her head slightly, bemused. “I _have_ to, Lilith. You know that.”

|No! You _don't!_ | The other dragon floated closer to her, her eyes like massive, gold tinted mirrors. |You could... you could just leave! You could live in the Astral Realm with me! Humans can't stay there for prolonged periods, but you're a dragon too! You could be safe there...|

“And leave everyone else out here to suffer Anankos' wrath? I could never do that.” She _could_. She could simply hop into a portal with Lilith and live out her days in that empty void, all by her lonesome, knowing that she'd turned her back on her siblings, her friends, Gunther... There was nothing stopping her except for knowing that she would hate herself if she even considered doing such a thing, and the fear of being alone. Lilith sank down slightly, tiny claws clutching her orb tighter. She seemed to be trembling slightly. Nerr moved to cover her as much as she could with her cloak.

 

|I know... I know that... But I'm afraid, Lady Nerr. I'm afraid something bad will happen.|

“Something bad _always_ happens, Lilith. Always. If all I can do about that is hide, I might as well kill myself now and save myself a lot of hassle.” Lilith whimper slightly, moving closer to her. She did not blame her for her disquiet. She was just as worried, just as afraid, but it was her duty to push past those fears and convince everyone to be as brave as she wasn't.

 

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A/N- This was originally WAY longer and ended up being well over fifty pages and a friend suggested I cut it off here and I agreed with her whole heartedly. There's action coming in the next chapter, so I had to get some of the character development out of the way here. And can I just say that writing Gunnerr makes me incredibly happy? Having them just talk is even more fun than describing gore and body horror (and I love me some gore and body horror). Nerr's chintzy fluorite ring is a reference to another one-shot I wrote, _Firelight_ , which itself is a reference to one of my favorite Franken Fran chapters and... isn't cross-posted here. I really hate posting on AO3 because 99% of the time, I'm posting from my phone, and mobile is impossible to format. I would give anything to just import my documents here like I can on FFN.


	15. Everything is Chaos

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Ch.15- “Everything is Chaos”

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“ _You just think about the life you'll have together after the war. And then you do it for her; that's how you know you can win...”_

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Heading up the crag, Nerr found herself looking back a great deal more than she should have, considering the vertigo it induced. Her constant glances towards the darkened forests didn't go unnoticed by the others.

 

“What are you looking for?” Azura asked her as she gasped for breath, having long since discarded her heavy cloak. _'A miracle...'_

“I'm trying to see where Xander and Ryouma's forces might be.”

“It's most likely they're further south than this.” Gunther informed her, leading his steed along what narrow paths there were. “There are less crevasses down there.”

“Would it be too much to hope that we got here before them?” She glanced up at the sky. The dark clouds that usually blanketed the border were painted with golden swirls, the lightning branching across them hard to see against the light. Far in the distance, dusk was falling onto the horizon over Hoshido, a darker night than anything she'd experienced while there. A week, maybe a month, and the that darkness would spread, pushing the light into Nohr, where it had no business being. A shadow against the bright clouds caught her attention, and she raised her arm to shield her eyes from the dust kicked up by Camilla's wyvern.

 

“You might want to get a move on, sweetling. I think the princes are expecting you.”

“What?! They're already here?”

“About half a mile south of here. I wasn't too keen on getting close, but it seems they came in good faith; I saw less that a hundred soldiers between them.” Nerr let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. Even if they were intending to fight, they didn't plan on decimating one another's army.

“Camilla, can you take me there? It'll take a while longer to get up damn Chasm, and I don't want them to think I've led them into a trap.”

 

“Do you really think it's wise to go there all alone, Nerr?” Azura asked, leaning back against the rough stone.

“...you're right. You can come with me.”

“I-- I don't...” The singer sighed and nodded.

“Alright. Can you carry both of us, Camilla?”

“Of course! Theodorus isn't some hollow-boned pretend horse. He's a strong boy.” She cooed. Nerr climbed back down, taking Azura's hand and pulling her up until their sister could take over and haul her onto the saddle behind her, clambering up herself soon after. The saddle wasn't big enough for three, leaving her seated on the base of the wyvern's tail, trying her damnedest not to slip off as the elder princess took off.

 

“Maybe I _do_ need to learn how to fly...” She muttered to herself, trying very hard to keep from glancing down.

“You can practice by jumping off cliffs once we get _there_.” The songstress joked, her voice not very humorous as she breathed hard. “You'll just land back here.” That was a good point. In fact, that might have been a good way to show the princes that they were telling the truth- after all, how long had they believed falling into the Chasm was a death sentence? Her fingers tightened around the saddle's ridge as a sea of blue and red came into focus, the muted colors barely discernible from the blacks and grays and browns of the ground below.

 

“Land here, Camilla. I don't want them to think we're trying to attack them.”

“Are you sure, Nerr?”

“Yes. Land.” Tugging on the reins, Camilla directed her wyvern down, the ground coming up to meet them. Nerr jumped off a few feet before they landed, the sharp stones digging into her feet, but the feeling of solid earth beneath them enough to make up for that. Azura waited until they'd landed before slipping off.

“Ready?”

“No.” The singer answered honestly.

 

“Good. Me either.” She set off towards the armies, head high, shoulders back; just the way she was taught to present herself. There was nothing to fear, she whispered to herself. She was just talking to her brother. Brothers. There would be no battle, no reason for her hand to keep inching towards the Yato's grip. She noticed Xander first, seated high atop his destrier, tall and imposing just as a commander ought to look. It took several seconds before he noticed her, his attention turning from the eastern half of the chasm to the north. So too did Ryouma turn to watch their approach, two young women at his side. Nerr recognized Hinoka only by her bright red hair, her face lighting up as she noticed who was drawing nearer.

 

“Azura! Nerrida!” Her hoarse voice echoed across the vast plain, drawing every soldier's attention to them as well. Azura stepped in front of her, moving to head over to the Hoshidan's side, but Nerr grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

“You stay right here. Do _not_ make it look like you're picking sides.” She whispered strictly to the other princess. Taking a few more steps, she stopped at the head of both platoons Whispers rippled over the groups while she remained silent, breathing deeply even as her heart thudded against her ribs.

“Is this what you dragged us out here for?!” The relative quiet was shattered by the blonde woman at Ryouma's side. “To try and psych us out while Garon plans his sieges?!” Nerr turned to face her, slowly, her voice quiet and even yet carrying just as far as the other woman's angry shouts. Her armor was dark red.

 

“I remember you. I saw you in Cyrkensia. What's your name, again?”

“The name's Scarlet. I'm the leader of the Cheve rebellion that despot you're so sympathetic to massacred.”

“I see. Well, Scarlet of Chevalier, now that you've said your piece, I think it's time for you to shut your hole while the adults speak.” The rebel made a noise like an angry cat, lunging forward, only to be restrained by Ryouma.

“What did you say!?”

“You heard me. There are no bourgeois squires here for you to presume to throw your weight around impressing. You are No One, the leader of Nothing. You have no power, no soldiers; your rebels couldn't survive a single attack, yet you act as though you can topple Garon's reign. You are no more important than any of the soldiers you presume to stand in front of. Even less so; I'm certain _they've_ seen an actual battle or two, instead of simply talking about things they _want_ to do in taverns and their parents' manors. So go take your place with them and _be silent_.” Her infuriated roar nearly drowned out the amused chuckle coming from Nerr's right, and she turned to see Xander dismounting, walking closer to the center of the field.

 

“I see you lessons have paid off, little princess. After so many years, I had begun to worry that you would not have the heart to give orders, but it appears I was wrong.” He stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I was wrong about a great many things when it came to you. But I am willing to listen to you. Lazwald and Leo have both filled me in on many of the things you have said, and if Prince Ryouma wishes to speak with words rather than blades, I will gladly do so.” Finally wrestling his impertinent companion back towards the rest of the nameless grunts, the Hoshidan prince flipped his long hair out of his face, a severe frown making him look far older than he must have been. He too stepped forward. His cold glare was no less harsh when he turned it from Xander to Nerr, though it seemed to soften ever so slightly when he noticed Azura.

 

“My father and mother both died trying to seek peace when Nohr would not. I should cut you all down at this moment... but I will not sully their legacy in such a way. You two are my sisters, and as such, I will grant you the benefit of the doubt for the time being.” Azura smiled widely at him.

“Thank you, nii-san. I promise you, we are only trying to do what is right for both Hoshido and Nohr. Neither country should have to suffer.”

“Indeed.” Nerr concurred. “Which is why _this_ war needs to end as quickly and peacefully as possible. Anankos will strike when you are weak. So I suggest you do not make that easier for him.”

“And how would you go about making us strong, Nerrida?” She shuddered internally. She had grown accustomed to the Hoshidans calling her that- it seemed like a bad habit when _they_ did it, but coming from Ryouma's mouth, it sounded like an insult. Like he was going out of his way to remind her that he didn't care who she said she was, only who he expected her to be. Inhaling deeply, she turned her attention to him alone, her eyes boring into his thick skull.

 

“There _is_ no making Hoshido strong, Ryoma Sama. You allowed yourself to become weak; far too weak. You don't have fifty thousand soldiers to your name. Garon's forces will swarm over you like ants over a carcass, and all that will be left of your empire is a husk.” It was barely noticeable, especially with his armor covering so much of his face, but she saw him flinch. He knew she was right. “So if I were someone who wouldn't want the deaths of all those people at my feet, I wouldn't give Garon a _reason_ to decimate my troops. Surrender, Ryouma. Surrender, and spare your people, and your soldiers, a long, drawn out defeat that will only end in their demise.” At once, cries of outrage rang out from the Hoshidans.

 

“What?!”

“I knew it!”

“She really is a traitor!!” Ryouma's lips pulled back from his teeth in a fierce snarl.

“The nerve... the audacity... You waste my time, dragging me here, making me believe you actually care for the well-being of Hoshido only to tell me to _surrender?!?!_ ”

 

“I am _telling_ you how to keep your kingdom from being _burnt to the ground!!_ ” For the first time, Nerr raised her voice, the growl working into her words reverberating over the plains, if not silencing the mutters of discontent, at least quieting them. She immediately resumed her quiet tone, almost whispering at the Hoshidan prince. “Are you stupid, completely insane, or a combination of both? Every idiot knows that sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war. Anankos wants to destroy both kingdoms. Regardless of what he thinks to the contrary, Garon can't rule over ashes. It will take time for another attack similar to the ones in Shirasagi and Cyrkensia to fell Hoshido, and your people will fare far better against it if _they aren't all dead.”_ While he didn't yell at her this time, the high prince ground his teeth, looking murderous. Xander had remained quiet as she spoke, and with a lull in the conversation, he raised his voice.

 

“I can attest that Nerr speaks the truth, at least in terms of our father's goals. Hoshido's resources will serve no one if they have all been destroyed. I know nothing of this 'Anankos', but my father is not so weak as to bend to this nobody's whims.” He held his hand out to the other prince. “Should you surrender, I swear as the crown prince of Nohr that no harm shall come to any of your soldiers _or_ people.” Dark brown eyes glared at the proffered hand, but he didn't slap it away or begin spouting insults. Nerr held her breath, hoping, hoping desperately...

 

Something flew overhead, a deafening whoosh that grew louder as the air grew hotter and brighter. She looked up, blinded by the flames soaring past, a massive fireball that arced and and fell into the amassed Hoshidan soldiers. The lucky ones near the front were knocked away, while those in the back screamed as their flesh peeled and bubbled, running blindly until they collapsed, consumed by fire.

 

“What in the...?!”

“No... _no_....!” Azura covered her mouth, tears oozing over her fingers as she stared in horror. Ryouma rounded on them, unsheathing his sword, the edge glowing white hot.

“What is the meaning of this!?” He roared. Xander shook his head, looking just as dumbstruck as the rest of them.

“I don't know! That was _not_ an authorized attack! Leo! Who cast that?!”

“No one!!” The younger prince rode towards them, his pale face and wide eyes making him actually appear his age. “It came from the south!!”

 

“Indeed it did, Prince Xander...” An unctuous voice filled the air, coming from every direction. Flashes of light blinded them, the smell of sulfur choking them as Nohrian soldiers warped onto the plain, startling even those who wore the same armor. There had to be hundreds of them, and far, far in the back, near the dilapidated forts, Nerr could just barely make out the glint of Iago's stupid mask. He was positioned atop a massive ballista unlike anything she had ever read about. A giant glass orb sat where the crossbow should have been positioned, violet flames dancing within it. His magically amplified voice was even more irritating when it reverberated _within_ her skull. “It looked like you could use a bit of help dealing with these byak savages, so I brought reinforcements!”

 

“Damn you, Iago! I specifically said _not_ to bring our troops here!”

“Oh, _that's_ what you said? My apologies, milord; to me, it sounded like 'I'm a pathetic little bitch who can't do what needs to be done for Nohr's glory'. Soldiers! Kill every last one of those devils, and anyone who stands in your way!!” Pikes lowered, the vanguard began marching forward.

“Ryouma-sama!” Saizou pushed his way to the front of the injured Hoshidans, a sword in hand. He'd ripped his mask off, his robes and hair singed. “Get behind us, we'll-- urk!!” Whatever he had planned to do they never discovered as a long, curved blade erupted from his mouth, blood streaming down his chin and neck until he was pushed forward, falling face first into the dust. A Hoshidan soldier stood behind him, slowly lowering his now-red blade.

 

“What have you done!?” Ryouma screamed, pain overtaking the shock in his eyes. The soldier chuckled, looking up. Nerr recognized those cold, dead eyes before she even took in the sandy hair and bead.

“What I do best. Men! You heard the anyan! Slaughter these royal fuckers; we don't need them taking up _our_ castle anymore!” A frighteningly enthusiastic cheer went up from amongst the Hoshidans as they began turning on one another. No; the Mokushuujin amongst them began turning on the unsuspecting soldiers.

“No... no, no, no!!” Crying out, Ryouma ran after the daimyo, his blade leaving a trail of light behind him.

“Ryouma!” Azura call after him, moving to follow, only to be pulled back by Xander.

 

“No! The two of you, get back! I have to stop this!” Running back to his horse, the prince climbed up, unsheathing his sword and snapping the reins.

“Wh-what do we do, Nerr?” The blunette trembled as she looked around, flinching at every noise. Swallowing hard, the Norhian princess unsheathed the Yato, pushing the other girl behind her.

“Get back... You need to get back, you aren't armed!”

“Nerr!” She hazarded a glance over her shoulder, quickly looking back to the danger before her as soon as she noticed the others running in her direction. Camilla reached her first, jumping from her wyvern and running the remaining distance. “What happened here?!”

 

“Iago happened!” Before she could try to explain that the Mokushuujin were in the fray as well, a blood curdling screech echoed overhead. Wyvern knights flew from the south, throwing hatchets into the red-clad crowd, the axeheads shattering arms and skulls. One rose, higher and higher, reaching it's apex before turning it's snout down and diving towards the soldiers. A massive crack, wind whistling. It screamed in pain, blood and gore raining from the sky as it's belly hung open. Nerr immediately thought Takumi had shot it, looked back expecting to see him lower his bow, but he hadn't even raised it. He was watching the scene unfold with the same look of confusion and disbelief as the rest of them, eyes widening as he grabbed Sakura and pulled her away. They barely had time to move as the wyvern came crashing down, it's massive bones breaking with cracks like oaks falling.

 

“Flank the Nohrians, men! We'll not fall here!!” She could barely hear the call over the screams of pain and terror, over the metal clashing in the distance, over the mechanical 'clack-clack-clack', but the wave of samurai and ninja running past what flames remained was all she needed to see. The remaining wyvern knights did not stop simply because one of their own had fallen. The descended on the Hoshidans, or at least attempted to. Nickers and squawks mingled with the screeching, as dozens of soldiers mounted on pegasus and kinshi flew out to meet them. Axes cut through the wooden hafts of lances at times, and at others, could not move fast enough to keep the steel heads from plunging into their throats and faces. The clacking resumed, along with a grinding, as a massive crossbow, the kind normally found atop a ballista, was aimed upwards by a complex set of gears and pulleys. Nerr could just see a mop of messy blue hair behind it before it launched it's bolt with an ear splitting crack. Another bestial scream somewhere overhead. She shook her head.

 

“We have to stop Iago!” She cried out to the others, hoping they could hear her over the din.

“How?!” Takumi yelled back. “How are we supposed to get through _that?!”_ He gestured to wall of Norhian soldiers standing between them and the southern forts.

“I... I don't... I'm--” She wasn't sure. There were so many of them. Xander was somewhere in the middle of that fray. They wouldn't turn on their own prince, would they?

“We don't go _through_ it; we go around it.” Gunther's voice, strong and commanding, broke through the noise. “That's what you were going to say, isn't it, my lady?” _'Thank the gods for this man...'_ Swallowing, Nerr nodded.

“Yes. But it isn't just Iago- there are Mokushuujin amongst the Hoshidans; they're being led by Kotaro--”

 

“You can leave _that_ to me.” Shura stepped forward, nocking an arrow. She pushed him back.

“Don't run off ahead. We need to stay together--”

“Fuck that. You promised you'd help me kill that son of a bitch. You can help me now by staying the hell out of my way, ladyship.” He pushed past her, his green cloak disappearing into the sea of red.

“Shura!”

“Let him go.” Jakob grabbed her shoulder just as she was contemplating running after him. “You _just_ said we need to stay together, milady. Let us deal with the most pressing threat first.”

 

“...yes.” She quickly scanned the battlefield, trying to ignore the falling bodies. The southern end of the chasm seemed to dip into a valley, surrounded on the western half by steep hills. “We'll flank him. Hug the hills and for the love of the gods, don't get drawn into the middle of that bloodbath.” She jogged over to Gunther, heaving herself up behind him. “We'll take the lead. Silas, you and Elise bring up the rear. Elise, if anyone raises a weapon near you, set them on fire. Camilla, Tsubaki, Yuugiri- there are undoubtedly archers there, not to mention whatever that monstrosity Yukimura brought with him is. Stay on the perimeter out of their range.” Breathing deeply, she wrapped the arm not holding the Yato around Gunther's waist. “How dead are we?” She whispered so only he could hear her. He sighed, shifting the reins to one hand while the other locked his lance at his side.

 

“It depends on how much fire there's going to be.” With one last, shaky breath, she tamped her fear down.

“Move out!” Caractacus whinnied as he was spurred forward at a canter. Most of the soldiers, regardless of who they had come with, were funneling into the center of the valley, where friend was virtually indistinguishable from foe. In the distance, the orb glowed bright, a blinding violet, as a titanic ball of flames shot from it's middle, dropping embers across the battlefield until it collided with the fliers. The fire did not discriminate friend from foe, setting wyverns and pegasi both aflame. Nerr could not hear them from where she was over the clash of battle, she could not smell the ash of burning fur and skin, but she saw them. Saw balls of fire flutter down from the sky, like moths drawn too close to a candle, reduced to dust.

 

One of the wyvern knights didn't have the sense the others did, it seemed. A massive, dark red thing that swooped over the pitch, it's rider clad in equally crimson armor swinging her ax with reckless abandon, severing throats and crushing skulls. Another ax, larger, it's blade sharper, cut through the air, a whirlybird of death, lodging in the wyvern's thick neck, cutting it almost all the way through. It fell into the battle, crushing the soldiers caught beneath it, it's weak cry of pain drowned out by it's rider's scream. From the edge of the valley, Nerr could see into it, could see the Nohrians trying to distance themselves from the spasms of the dying creature, could see that insufferable Scarlet try to pick herself up and fail. She could also see the mountain of a man approaching where others backed away, his pale skin gleaming almost as bright as the ax he pulled from his belt.

 

Hans didn't even exert himself, swinging the ax like it was nothing, just as he had done further north months ago. It didn't sever her neck like that first unlucky Hoshidan, no. It was aimed too high, lobbing off the top half of her skull at an uneven angle. Nerr's fingers clutched at the steel beneath them, her nails growing thicker and sharper. He was enjoying it, the blood and screams of horrified onlookers, a look of almost orgasmic bliss on his hideous face, eyes half-lidded until the snapped upon her. His voice rang out above the clash of swords all around him, even if it was just her overly sensitive ears that heard him.

 

“I knew you were here, Nerr! I smelled that putrid cunt of yours a mile a way! Get that bitch! Tear her apart!!” He screamed at the soldiers around him. In unison, several dozen heads turned, bodies soon following, swords and lances raised. A thunderous roar shook them as soldiers charged up the valley. A crack followed by a loud blast resulted in several mercenaries being blown to chunks, the resulting gust knocking several more down. Elise flipped open her tome, the air around her glowing before fireballs, smaller than the ones Iago cast but burning just as brightly, collided with the soldiers, engulfing everything they touched. Even _with_ those attacks, the Norhians kept coming. Swords and lances were driven into anything close enough, the injured falling onto their comrades and knocking them to back, but it wasn't enough.

 

They were gaining ground, pulling themselves onto even footing where they could draw their weapons. Gunther did a good enough job of driving his lance into throats and faces, but even he could not stop the ceaseless horde. One knight managed to sneak up behind them, grabbing Nerr's mantle and attempting to pull her off the back of the saddle. Fighting against his efforts, she readjusted her grip on the Yato, holding it by it's blade as she smashed the pommel onto the man's head like a hammer. She could see his skull deform as his grip slackened. Returning her blade to the way it was meant to be wielded, she slit the throat of another.

 

“Get me down to Hans!”

“Nerr, no! It's too dangerous down there!”

“It's dangerous _up here!_ He's one of their commanders!”

“But--”

“Don't question me!” She roared in his ear. “Just do it!!” Reaching under his arms, she took hold of the reins herself, digging her heels into Caractacus' sides.

 

A less trained horse would not have even noticed her futile attempts, but the courser was as much a consummate soldier as his owner. Her ineffectual tugs at his reins were enough to get him to change direction, though thankfully, the knight took over again as he began galloping down into the valley. Most of the soldiers were wise enough to move out of the way of two thousand charging pounds, and those that weren't were either trampled or quickly met the sharp end of the Yatogami. She could see Hans getting closer, distracted as he tore into the Nohrian soldiers that must have come with Xander. Or perhaps not. Perhaps his blood lust was simply too great to care whose life he cut short. Her fingers tightened around the grip of her sword. She could run him through without him even noticing. She drew her arm back, but he moved with an agility she was not expecting, ducking and swinging his ax. For a moment, she thought he was simply mad, that he had greatly overestimated the reach of the damn thing, but then she found herself flying through the air.

 

Time seemed to slow as everything flipped upside down and the ground flew up to reach her. Browns and blues turned gray for a split second before the impact jarred her from her partial transformation. Her sword arm had been extended, and it hit the ground first, shattering everywhere. Dirt flew into her mouth, kicked up by the boots trampling her. It felt as though the muscles in her back and neck had snapped, but despite her pain and foggy mind, she could still move her fingers and toes. Panting and whimpering, she rolled over, the ringing in her ears deafening her. She could still see, though, mostly through the flashes of light and darkened edges. She could see Caractacus laying on his side, flailing just as Scarlett's wyvern had. He tried to get back on his feet, rolling over and collapsing the moment he put weight on the bloody stumps where his cannons had been. Gunther was still lying flat on his back, twitching as Hans approached him, the blade of his ax glistening with fresh blood.

 

Nerr had no idea how she'd gotten up, only that she had, the Yato left behind as her teeth melted and ran down her throat. All she could focus on was the smell, the taste of blood and sweat and piss and fear, and every single one of those things radiated from Hans the moment she made contact with his flesh. Fingers fused into a needle's point, bone-hard scales covering her skin as it burrowed into his, brushing against his spine, nestled deep within his organs. She could feel them quivering as he tried to pull himself free, but it was too late. The bones that were part of her hand separated, growing thicker, longer. She couldn't see his face, only his torso stretching like a bag being filled with water.

 

The soldiers in the immediate vicinity stopped fighting, lowering their swords and lances, watching slack jawed as their commander writhed and struggled, his skin starting to split. Nerr felt the heat drop down her arm and course through her veins before releasing from the mouth at the end of her wrist. Hans burst open with a shower of blood and meat and scalding water. The ringing in her ears didn't stop, but she could almost hear over it, wails and screams of absolute terror. They had no idea what she was, and she wanted to keep it that way. Winding up, she flung the twitching corpse into the ranks still fight, bowling soldiers over as the pain nearly dropped her to her knees.

 

“ _All of you!”_ The voice in her head was more steady, more commanding than the pitiful whimpers coming from her mouth. “ _Lay down your weapons or you'll be next!”_ At once, dozens of pieces of steel fell to the earth with a clatter. Many of their owners did the same, falling to their knees before her. Of course, there were always those fools that thought themselves brave...

“Fuck that shit!!! Kill the trai-- GRAGGHH!!!” One such individual had begun pushing himself through the crowd of those that surrendered, his sword held aloft until it began freezing, the ice traveling down the blade, down his arm across his chest. A flash of silver hit him, shattering his entire right side. He screamed even as his lungs slipped out until another silvery bolt stuck him through the throat, the blade of a misericord.

 

“Sorry we took so long, Lady Nerr! We kind of had no idea where to look!!” She looked up to where a group of twenty or so mages and berserkers climbed over the hills. She couldn't see the pale pink hair of the one who led them, but Felicia's high voice cut through the din as easily as her daggers. She half slid, half stumbled down the incline, leading the other members of the Ice Tribe with her. They fell onto the soldiers that had yet to yield, hacking at them, freezing their flesh, giving Nerr's group a chance to push back. As she tried desperately to catch her breath, she realized that Gunther had climbed to his knees, dragging his lance as he crawled over to the still weakly thrashing courser. Despite the gore clinging to her fingers, despite the blood and shit soaked into the ground around her, she had to avert her gaze in disgust as he drove it's point into the horse's throat. Again. And again. And again. It took so long to sever that muscular neck...

 

Stumbling away, she reached for her discarded sword, forgetting in her hazy mind that her sword arm lay in pieces. She retched as the pain tore at her mind, bile mixing with the cocktail of dirt and waste on her tongue. She fumbled with her left hand, awkwardly sheathing the blade as she turned her attention back to Iago. He wasn't _that_ far away... She could reach him. Forcing herself forward, she reached for the rune hanging at her waist, wrapping her hand around it's cool surface, the power flowing through her fingers and up her arm, revitalizing her, giving her the strength to run as her limbs grew longer, bones cracking and dropping her onto three legs. She tore through the soldiers in her way, unable to tell friendly from hostile. All she could see was the difference between Hoshidan and Nohrian, and that was not a difference that interested her. A blow like a battering ram struck her from the left, knocking her off her feet as her ribs fractured.

 

Scrambling to get back up, guttural roars left tremors in her chest. Above the fog of blood and sweat, she smelled decay, flesh that had rotted for far too long to have resulted from _this_ battle. She'd only seen the Faceless once in Hoshido, but that was enough to recognize the misshapen form lumbering towards her, dwarfing even the cavaliers atop their destriers. They mowed down everything in their path in their mad scramble to reach her, swinging their fists wildly, dislocating jaws and arms with the chains that hung from them. She ducked one, but another wrapped around her neck, the corroded metal scraping against the hard plates there. The rotting monster swung it's fists, trying to strike her as she pulled back. Rearing, Nerr raked her talons across it's torso, tearing through the weak skin like wet paper, releasing a gush of dark, vile fluids and entrails that filled the air with a stench akin to open sewage. It's fellow creatures paid it no mind, trampling it and further squeezing out it's innards in their huger for destruction. Another lunged as she tried to free herself of the chain weighing her down, it's entire upper half bursting in a deluge of viscera. Takumi lowered his his bow, rushing towards her to help disentangle her.

 

“What happened to keeping formation?! You're lucky I'm here to--”

“ _Takumi, behind you!”_ The young prince could barely turn, much less raise his bow as the mercenary crept up, raising his sword high only to drop it as a thin blade pierced his side, tearing through cloth and flesh and felling him in a single stroke. Hinata panted, grinning at his liege.

“You scared me for a second there, Takumi-sama. You ran off an--” His voice broke off mid-word as his skull cracked like an egg, flecks of bone and blood sprinkling across the prince as the entire right side of his head caved in.

 

“Hinata!!!” He screamed, too busy staring at the convulsing body at his feet to notice the knight raising his hammer once more. Nerr knocked her brother aside, driving her horns into the man's face, the curved prongs digging into the soft underside of his jaw, up through his palate. She felt another branch snap off as she tried to withdraw.

 

“ _Takumi._ ” The boy paid her no mind, dropping to his knees, his bow forgotten. “ _Takumi, get up!”_ Only weak sobs met her desperate cries. Gritting her teeth in her mind, she looked around, trying to spot someone, anyone friendly. Cacophonous growls rumbled as another swarm of Faceless converged on them, or at least tried to. Trees sprouted in rapid time, their trunks weaving together like serpents to form an arboreal wall that bent as the monsters ran into it, but did not yield.

“Sister!”

 

“ _Leo!”_ Her brother rode up, kicking up dirt as his steed quickly halted. _“Leo, stay with Takumi. I have to get to Iago!”_

“What? Nerr, no! You can't--”

“ _I have to! He's the one behind these Faceless, and everything. Just keep an eye on him!”_ The blonde boy groaned, but nodded.

“Be careful, sister. I saw more Hoshidan reinforcements coming. It looks like they've been plotting for this just the same as Iago.” He knew she heard him, so she didn't waste time confirming what he had said, instead turning and heading south once more at a limping gallop.

 

One of their limited number had already fallen, at least one that she knew of. She had lost track of the others. Hans was dead- that was one of the three main threats they needed to worry about- but how many other casualties had their been? She didn't even know where Xander and Ryouma were. Swords glanced off her scales, but arrows tore through her wings with ease. Nerr was less concerned with stopping the nobodies who thought they could hurt her than she was with ripping that slimy mage to pieces. She couldn't see _him_ , hidden from her by the magical ballista, but she did see the air there grow brighter. Fear churned in her gut as she awaited another ball of fire to reduce even more soldiers to ash and shards of bone, but it didn't come. The princess stumbled as the ground below her shifted, rolling under her like a wave. She glanced over her shoulder, convinced Leo had opted to follow her, but there was no one there but the soldiers trying to kill each other. The earth _was_ moving, however, as though he were casting a spell. No foliage sprang from the rocky soil. It only rose, gathering upon itself, bubbling up like a geyser of mud and rocks, an undulating mass caught in flux between liquid and solid.

 

She and many of the soldiers around her stopped, craning their necks back further and further to better see the towering mass of soil as it split into appendages that vaguely resembled arms. A low rumble crept under her skin as the ground shook, it's mass expanding more and more until, from a hole at it's apex, it spewed rocks and soil onto the soldiers below it. Not little pebbles; massive boulders that crushed those they fell on. Men and women tried to run, crying out desperately as they were buried alive under hundreds of pounds of dirt, arms, some still clutching sword, poking out of the mound. It swiveled around, grabbing wildly. Nerr's long legs allowed her to sprint out of it's reach, but it didn't care, plucking instead a pair of cavaliers from their horses, snapping the destriers' necks in the process. She didn't stop running, the blood pounding in her ears not enough to mute the terrified shrieks and rapid crunches. There were almost as many Faceless in the skirmish as there were people, though they were easily felled. A gale whirled around one, the razor-sharp winds lacerating it's flesh as a Hoshidan in a demonic mask smashed a club into another's legs, the glowing hot metal searing the rotting skin. Mages and berserkers charged into the fray, their numbers at the very least evening the score between man and monster.

 

She charged at one particularly large beast that was pounding what remained of it's fist against a Nohrian berserker's shattered legs. Her horns met resistance this time, the usually decomposing hide more intact on this one. Still, as it rounded on it's attacker, her claws made short work of tearing it's throat to ribbons. Iago was only a a hundred or so meters away. If she could fly, she could dive onto him and rip his head off. Even as she sought to flank him, a sharp pain in her thigh dropped her. Dozens of wounds she barely noticed, but it was as if someone were burning away her skin, muscle, nerves, down to the bone. She could smell the acrid stink of burning flesh, could _hear_ her skin sizzling. Trying and failing to pick herself up on only two legs, Nerr looked back, her breath hitching in her throat. She recognized the serrated teeth of the wyrmslayer before it's holder even registered in her mind. Though he donned the garb of Hoshido's army, Kotaro looked more like a Nohrian to her than anyone who hailed from the east. Fearfully, she lashed at him with her tail, but the daimyo was too quick, pulling back and slashing at the appendage with that hateful blade. It broke her scales, cutting through the thickened skin and tendons as though they were nothing more than butter. She felt it strike bone and screamed in spite of herself. The pain blinded her as she struggled to crawl away.

 

“Oh, I have been wanting to see you again since you slithered away... Your bones will make a fine throne for the future Emperor of Hoshido...” Kotaro sauntered forth, completely unconcerned with the battle waging around him. She would be surprised if a large portion of the casualties hadn't been inflicted by him and his men. “How long does it take a dragon to bleed to death, I wonder? Only one way to find out.” She thrashed, trying to gore him, but unable to reach as he pressed the sword against her ribs, smoke rising from her flesh as the caustic metals burned her. He cackled, amused by her pain, a deep laugh that turned into a choked groan halfway through. Trying to focus through the agony making her vision blur, Nerr watched as the daimyo tried to turn around, only to have his sword hand captured and pulled back behind him. A head topped in white curls appeared behind him. Shura pressed his lips to the other man's ear, his voice a hoarse whisper.

 

“When you meet the devil, tell him the Ashyura clan sent you.” Kotaro's eyes widened as the thief drove a short dagger into his gut, stabbing him again and again and again and again, pulling and slashing, creating a dark, wet hole deep enough for his fist to sink into. Pulling away, Shura let the still shaking man fall to the ground, raising his leg and bringing the heel of his boot down on his face. Repeatedly. He didn't stop until the twitching did. Breathing hard, he wiped the bloody dagger on his pant leg, replacing it in the sheath at his hip. “Finally....” There was an almost tearful reverence in his voice, though his expression quickly morphed to horror as he finally noticed Nerr. “Fuck! I forgot about you!”

 

_“Shura... help me...”_

“How? Uh... shit. I think I saw one of the Hoshidan princesses a couple meters back--”

“ _Help me up. I have to... get to Iago...”_

“You can't fucking walk! Shit...” He fumbled for something on his belt, grabbing a vial and heading over to her bloody leg. He poured the concoction into her wound, the viscous liquid seeping into her muscles and cauterizing them anew. She roared in agony, nearly beating him over the head with her wings. “Shit! Calm down, princess, just fucking calm down!!” He poured what was left onto her tail, the appendage unable to knit itself back together, just barely hanging on. She screamed in her head, weeping in pain even as she forced herself to her knees. Shura tried to push down on her haunches to keep her where she was. “What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed!”

 

“ _I have to stop Iago! They'll stop fighting if I stop him!”_ She was sure of it. These were Nohrian soldiers, killing other Nohrian soldiers, their brothers and sisters in arms. As soon as the threat forcing them to engage was dealt with, they would stop. They _had_ to stop. Nerr told herself that, repeating it in her mind, a mantra, a prayer, as she forced herself to walk on shaking, colt-like legs. A bright light cut through the dark as the orb illuminated once more, launching blinding fire over their heads, raining embers over them. The screams of the injured overtook the clash of steel, the roar of the flames. As the ground shifted beneath her again, she ran, limping and staggering as the mountain behind her rose up, sweeping it's arms across the battlefield.

 

Her body acted of it's own accord, wings unfurling and flapping much the way she had seen winged creatures do. The ballista towered over her, rising from the crumbling ruins of one of the forts. Panting, she leapt, awkwardly bobbing in the air, a far cry from the graceful flight achieved by wyverns and pegasi, but that wasn't her goal. She managed to land on the jagged facade of the fort, her claws finding purchase easily amidst the bricks. Climbing higher would not prove so easy. Unlike scaling the walls in the citadel, she did not have the benefit of gripping fingers and toes- she didn't even have full use of all four limbs this time. The massive orb took up most of the ballista, the heat and light it gave off blinding her, but she would not be thwarted by the light now. Her wings gave her a a bit of a grace period every time she launched herself up another foot, a tiny window where she could scramble for footing, but every time her feet left anything solid, Nerr felt her heart seize and stop. Twenty, thirty feet didn't sound like that much in her head, but if she fell from this height she could easily snap her neck. The princess pushed those thoughts from her mind the moment she saw a flash of crimson behind the orb.

 

Clenching her teeth, she clawed her way up with renewed vigor. Iago must have been preoccupied, perhaps readying another volley, because when he turned around, the half of his face she could see distorted into a fearful grimace. Nerr lunged at him, mandibles snapping at his head, his throat, saliva flying as she tried to pull herself up to the level he stood on. She tore his robes, ripping the fine fabric- too fine to have any place on a battlefield- pulling him closer. The mage let out a fearful squawk, struggling against her.

 

“Let go of me you wretched creature!!”

 _“This is all_ _ **your**_ _fault!!! If you die, it'll all stop!!”_ He scrambled for something, grabbed whatever it was, and struck her across the face with it. He wasn't very strong; in fact, he was physically weak, but given that she was hanging from a vertical surface by one arm, it didn't take much force to knock her off balance. Mind reeling, Nerr slipped down, her attempts to maul Iago to death forgotten in favor of simply surviving. The mage panted hard, bearing down on her. His mask was askew, revealing a sliver of pitted, distended flesh around his manic eyes.

 

 _“_ Not me... _you_ were supposed to die... And now you will.” He held a large tome, the spells it channeled undoubtedly what the ballista was amplifying. Whimpering, she desperately scrambled to pull herself up, the heat from the orb growing more and more intense. Iago smashed the tome's spine down onto her claw, nearly making her release her grip. Painted lips curled into a wicked facsimile of a smile. _'Oh gods, help me....!'_ _“_ Long may you reign, princess.” That _that_ face would be the last thing she saw as she died... it was too cruel. But she would not shut her eyes. Even if she would be burned alive, she would face her death with dignity, gods, she didn't want to die! The air around him glowed as the flames in the orb burned brighter... Suddenly, Iago stumbled, colliding into her, nearly knocking them both over the edge. “What the--?!” He turned, grunting in pain as the corner of another tome met with the side of his face. Before he could recover, it came down again. And again. Each time it met it's mark, the flesh and bone deformed a bit more, blood and even teeth knocked from Iago's mouth.

 

“Who's useless now!? Who has no place in your perfect plans _now?!_ ” He made a noise like he was attempting to speak, but his assailant would have none of it, shoving the mage roughly over the narrow banister. Nerr felt his body collide with her as he toppled past, screaming until he hit the bottom. She stared at the limp figure below her, her throat choked with fear even though the apparent threat had been dealt with. Someone grabbed her horn and for a terrifying moment, she imagined them pushing her back.

 _“Please don't kill--! ...me...”_ She turned back to Iago's killer, the miserable entreaty dying on her lips as a somewhat familiar face met her. “ _You...”_ Those sunken, bug eyes were the things of nightmares when she was surrounded on all sides by death. To her bemused surprise, Zola didn't set about beating her back with the tome, instead dropping it.

 

“I--I'm not going to! I'm trying to pull you up!”

 _“Get back.”_ She hissed, fear melting into a more familiar, comfortable anger. He actually did so, scrambling away as the draconic princess finally managed to heave her massive body over the railing and onto flat, solid ground. Her legs shook as though they were made of jelly, and gave out under her weight. Despite being physically unable to move, every muscle in her body remained tensed for flight, awaiting an attack that never came. _“You saved me.”_ She accused him. “W _hy?”_ The ratty mage winced, as though her words caused him actual pain.

 

“...you saved _me_. From Prince Leo. When my soldiers and I were taken to be executed, the Mokushuujin--”

 _“I d_ _idn't ask for_ _your life story. These soldiers are fighting on Iago's orders, right?”_ Swallowing, Zola nodded.

“Technically. King Garon pretty much gave him free reign.” And now that reign was over. But gods, how would she even get anyone to notice. Forcing herself to stand, she peered around the orb, it's flames now a low, steady burn. The earthen abominations seemed to have returned back to the soil, but Faceless still ran rampant. Even with hulking beasts tearing through them, the soldiers still seemed more focused on one another.

 _“How can I stop them? The can't even hear me...”_ She whispered to herself. If she had Azura's power, she could forcibly stop them, but even though she had an overview of the entire battlefield, she could not issue the most basic order.

 

“Uhm.... maybe _I_ can help? _”_ She turned to glare at the mage as he approached her, spindly fingers tapping incessantly on his tome. She didn't trust him as far as she could spit... but these were desperate times.

“ _How?_ ”

“Amplification spell. Pretty much _all_ mages use them; really, it's the most basic of spell--”

“ _All right,_ _ **Leo**_ _, if you're done jerking yourself off_ _for how superior you are_ _?”_ The only difference between how he had been in Izumo and how he was now was that he wasn't actively trying to murder her. Still a horrid little man who thought too highly of himself. If he tried anything- _anything_ \- it wouldn't matter that she owed him her life; he would be following Iago. He cowed under her harsh stare, swallowing hard and inhaling sharply. His lips moved silently, just barely, the air around him glowing faintly with symbols she was certain said... something. She felt something vibrate in her head, as though her skull was filled with bees.

 

“I... don't know how you talk, but however you do it, it should be louder now.” Given her lack of lips, she wasn't sure how she spoke either, but she wasn't sure of how a dragon could be contained in the body of a small girl, either. Inhaling deeply, she was was startled by just how loud that breath was in her ears.

 _“Soldiers. SOLDIERS!!!”_ Her voice echoed, a hollow sound as though she were speaking in a large empty hall rather than an open field, but in spite of the unnatural acoustics, many of the fighters paused, looking around for the source of the sound. _“Lay down your weapons. This battle is over. Your commanders are dead. Iago, Hans, Kotaro; you will not win their favor any longer by continuing to fight. You have no one to hide behind anymore.”_ The clash of steel grew fainter with every passing second, as more eyes turned towards the south, taking her in.

 

_Nerr..._

 

A chill ran down her spine as she looked for the source of the voice. It wasn't Zola, even though he was still standing right behind her. It was close though... or was it? It was so faint.

 

_Nerr..._

 

“Nerr!” Gasping, she peered down into the valley. She couldn't see a damn thing, the people all blending into one formless mass she couldn't make beginning or end of. “Sister!” Xander. She turned back to Zola.

“ _Get me down there.”_ Nerr winced as her bark resonated in her ears. The pitiful mage shrank back a bit.

“H-how would I do that.”

 _“Magic?”_ She had seen his slippery ass teleport too many times to think for a moment he wasn't capable of it. His fingers twitched, like the long legs of some sickly pale spider.

 

“Uhm... I suppose. I... I have to be touching you to teleport us both, though...” He took a step forward, then immediately backtracked, scowling. “If you try to bite me, o-or break my fingers again, I'll warp you into a brick wall” It was almost amusing that he thought himself threatening.

“ _I will_ _ **throw**_ _you through a brick wall- head first- if you don't get me down there.”_ His already ashen face paled considerably. Shivering, Zola reached out, his hand hovering over her for a while as he tried to decide where to place it. Finally, he settled for a spot near her shoulder (it was probably the only spot other than her stomach or hip he could reach). Again, his lips moved wordlessly as the air filled with runes.

 

For a moment, Nerr felt nothing. And then, it was as though her entire body had jerked back by a dozen horses at full gallop. A hook might as well have been put around her spine, wrenching forward and pulling her inside out. There was nothing but confusion and darkness for an eternity, and in an instant, she was standing back on solid ground surrounded by soldiers trying to back away as quickly as possible. Tottering wretchedly, the princess stumbled over her own feet and hit the ground hard. It rumbled beneath her as people spoke amongst themselves, their voices conflating into an indecipherable hum. Hooves thundered, stopping precious inches from her face. Xander jumped down, kneeling beside her. The right side of his face was swollen and blistered, a large part of the hair on that side missing.

 

“Sister! Thank the gods you're alright.”

 _“Help me up.”_ It didn't occur to her until after she'd said it what an undertaking that might have been. She was much larger than a horse, with much longer parts. Of course, if he'd thought she was asking too much of him, the crown prince of Nohr didn't say anything. He slipped his hands under her belly, providing her with just enough lift to get her feet under herself again. Panting, she swallowed, trying to ignore the nausea and migraine working in tandem to lay her low once more. _“_ _Xander. Tell your soldiers that this war is done. All of them; I don't care who they came here with. Ryouma- where is Ryouma?”_

 

“Right here.” A hand wrapped in a vambrace whose crimson she could just catch a hint of raised above the heads of the soldiers, those closest moving aside to allow the samurai to pass. He was limping, his other arm wrapped around his stomach, which in turn was tinted with a great deal more red than she remembered seeing earlier.

“ _You do the same, Ryouma. These are_ _ **your**_ _soldiers;_ _ **you**_ _give them orders. There is no reason for this war to continue._ ”

“Are you mad?!” Nerr looked around for the source of the voice. It didn't seem to come from the crowd in front of her. A loud clacking drew, not only her attention, but that of the princes and the soldiers as well, to the northern end of the battlefield. The massive ballista that had come with the Hoshidan reinforcements was coming closer, some automation at it's base allowing the massive structure to roll without being pulled by horses or soldiers.

 

“Yukimura, what are you even doing here? You were supposed to remain at the capital in my stead!” Ryouma stepped forward, frowning severely. The older man laughed coldly.

“Perhaps you have forgotten what happened the last time our emperor went in good faith to speak with the Nohrians about ending the war? I haven't. I knew this would happen, I _knew_ they would lead you into a trap, and I was _right!!!_ ” Though he still remained far away from her, the princess could still see Yukimura behind the weapon. He looked so much worse for the wear than when she'd left him at Fort Jinya. The rough stubble at his jaw had grown into a full beard, which only made his face look more gaunt. His glasses, hanging from one ear, framed the manic look in his eyes as he directed his gaze at her.

“You would simply have us lay down our weapons, _again_ , after yet another ambush perpetrated by these _heathens!?_ They don't care about peace! Every time we try to given them peace, they repay us with fear and death! Time and time again, these demons mistake our kindness for weakness! They did it with Sumeragi-sama, with Mikoto-sama, and have tried it yet again with Ryouma-sama. ...well, no more.”

 

With a harsh, metallic grinding, the crossbow swung so that it face the crowd. Nerr felt her heart stop as she threw herself against Xander, knocking them both to the ground as countless others around her did the same. Not everyone managed to, either too closely packed to move or frozen by fear and-or confusion. The bolt launched with an ear-splitting crack, singing as it flew over their heads. Metal groaned as it was sheared, bones snapped, ceaseless screams. She shut her eyes, wishing she could do the same for her ears. All around her, people began running, stepping on her neck and tail, tripping over her and themselves as they attempted to flee, knocking each other over as they collided, some heading further back, others trying to escape to the far side of the Chasm.

 

“Yukimura-san!” The voice was faint, barely even audible over the wails, the cries and groans of the wounded and dying.

“Yukimura-san, s-s-stop!! P-please!!” She couldn't tell where Azura and Sakura were. Alive, close enough to be heard, but not close enough to serve a purpose. The Hoshidan tactician ignored them, ropes groaning as they were made taut once more.

“Honorless wretches, _all of you!_ If your demon king will hide behind a million soldiers, then I'll cut down a million soldiers to destroy him!”

“Yukimura, stop this!” Ryouma's voice was closer than she'd anticipated, and cracking open an eye revealed that he was lying close to her and Xander, looking up even as he shielded his head. “Their generals are dead; this battle is over!”

“No, it's not! It won't _ever_ be over!! They won't leave us be until every last one of them is _dead!!_ ” His voice broke, choked with tears.

 

Trying to ignore her heart thudding in her ears and praying the rest of the world couldn't hear it as loudly as her, Nerr crept forward, inching on her belly. It was so much harder than it had been back in the Citadel. She'd had arms back then. There weren't legs kicking her and bodies piled three deep that she had to make her way over. She had only been trying to sneak to the kitchens, or sometimes Gunther's room when he was out; no threat of death, only a minimal fear. Another crack resounded throughout the valley, and her entire body stiffened as she wondered for one horrible second if she was not dead. It had sounded so close... But an animalistic screech that most assuredly did not come from her own throat made it clear that whatever poor draconic creature he had hit, it wasn't her.

 

“This is for Sumeragi-sama... This is for Mikoto-sama...” His voice was getting louder, tearful breaths drowned out by more creaking ropes, more metallic scraping. Her heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest. Her limbs were weak, trembling. It wasn't aimed at her, but it moved easier and faster than anything she'd ever read about, so who was to say it couldn't swivel around and launch a bolt right through her skull? It was that mental image that spurred her to her feet, running and limping and stumbling over the bodies, closing the gap between herself and the Hoshidan man. His eyes widened as she charged, his fingers fumbling to adjust the ballista to aim at her, but she had flanked him and despite it's automations, the gears and cogs could not turn fast enough. She rammed into Yukimura, knocking him from his position atop it, just as she done in Fort Jinya. This time, she did not hold him pinned against a wall. Her horns ran through him, poking through to the other side, pinning a butterfly to a board. He groaned weakly, trying to pull himself free, but even she could see his dark robes growing darker, glistening in the hazy light.

 

“You... turn against your people yet again... Sumeragi-sama... Mikoto... they _died_ for you...” He accused her, his voice thick with tears. She couldn't see his face, with her head resting against his bloody torso, but she could smell his anger, his misery.

“ _What my_ _parents_ _did_ _has nothing to do with you slaughtering people who laid down their weapons_ _. ...if_ _you_ _threaten the lives of a million soldiers, I'll cut you down.”_ Inhaling sharply, she wrenched her horns back, feeling the resistance as they caught on bone and flesh and organs, ripping them, breaking them. The anguished cry he gave as he fell made her shudder more than the blood running down her face. She didn't feel satisfied with this. She didn't feel like she had done something good, like killing Hans or watching Kotaro and Iago perish before her. It was easy to call them “evil”, to call their actions evil. The man caught in his death throes at her feet didn't fall into a neat little category like that. Slowly, still (understandably) fearful of another threat appearing from nowhere, the soldiers got to their feet. Two large shapes soared above her, circling as they came closer, one dark and the other light. The dark one landed first, Camilla leaping off her wyvern and running to Nerr's side. She threw her arms around the elongated neck, sobbing hysterically.

 

“Oh, my baby!! I lost sight of you when the Stoneborn started attacking and--” Her coherent speech dissolved into more blubbering sobs. The other shape, a pegasus that she somehow knew didn't belong to Tsubaki, landed a few more yards away, two riders jumping off. Azura's quick gait slowed, then stopped, as she noticed Yukimura's body. Her face crumpled like parchment, and she turned, burying her face in Hinoka's shoulder. The crimson tinted princess rubbed her back gently, keeping her own gaze averted from the sight. Both kingdoms' princes walked forward, neither defensive, or even armed, their swords holstered. They barely seemed to notice each other, an almost dazed look on their faces.

“The first thing we should do is see to the wounded.” Ryouma stated, his voice lacking it's usual assertive bite. “Then, I believe, we might be able to sit down and continue where we left off.”

000

 

There were so many dead. As Nerr sat with the wounded, waiting to be healed, she watched the able bodied drag the corpses of their brothers and sisters off to the side of the valley. Camilla held her tightly, rocking her, but she paid her sister no mind, lips pressed together as she watched those flow of the crowd, scanning faces. She had lost track of everyone... she recognized what was left of Hinata's face as he was pulled away. He still had a face. So many bodies had been reduced to blackened husks that crumbled away when touched. Others still were left in pieces, torn apart by Faceless and the horrid earth monsters (Stoneborn, they were called), or else, by Yukimura's ballista bolts. Many of the aerial soldiers could only be identified by their mounts, and she was sure she overheard something about a Kinshi. There had been more of the avian knights who came with Yukimura, but she had yet to see the combination of blue hair and a large scar...

 

Perhaps that was why she wasn't as glad and relieved as she had hoped she would be when she finally saw familiar faces emerge, still breathing, from the masses. Tsubaki half carried, half dragged a hopping Hana over to Sakura, the samurai paying no mind to her bloody leg as she threw herself onto the princess, weeping. Kaze had pushed through the throng, scanning the dead until he found his brother, collapsing before him. Behind her, Azura's warbling voice carried as her magic reinvigorated the healers working themselves to the bone.

 

Nerr watched the scenes before her unfold without truly grasping them. It felt like she was watching a play, or a scene from a book in one of her idle daydreams. It was as though her mind was in a fog, pain and exhaustion and adrenaline all having crescendoed and crashed, leaving her mired in a hazy blank. How she even recognized a familiar glint of lilac when her gaze could hardly focus on anything was beyond her, but she didn't question her aching legs standing, brushing off Camilla's attempts to pull her back. The ground was slippery, the long dry dust having become a thick ooze of every manner of foul fluids, but she managed to stumble her way through the crowd.

 

“Nerr!” She put on an extra burst of speed, throwing herself at Gunther. She tried to wrap her arms around his neck without thinking, her shattered forearm setting her nerves ablaze, but even the pain of that didn't squelch the relief that finally flooded her. The knight _did_ seem to have full mobility of both his arms, wrapping them around her and drawing her closer. “Oh gods, Nerr. You vanished, and I thought I'd lost you!” At once, all those things she hadn't truly felt in the immediate aftermath came surging forward, a tidal wave that overtook her completely. Tears welled in her eyes, burning her throat as she choked on her sobs.

 

“I broke ranks! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!!!”

“No, don't be. You were right. If you hadn't killed Hans, we'd have been overtaken easily by those soldiers.” Yes, it was lucky everything worked out, because how easily could it have not? How easily would her war have ended then and there if only she'd fallen a bit differently and snapped her neck? How many more of her soldiers would have died because of her recklessness? The thought of it left her wailing anew as Gunther led her back to the others. Her sister snatched her back at once, but the knight paid her no mind, silently lacing his fingers with Nerr's even as he sat beside her, breathing hard. She could feel her brother glaring at her, at least until Leo emerged from the ever thinning crowd of soldiers, not astride his destrier but supporting Takumi with one arm as he led the horse by the reins.

 

“Takumi!” The Hoshidans ran out to meet him, Hinoka reaching him first and pulling him into a tight embrace. With his burden unloaded, the Nohrian prince walked over to his own siblings, dropping the reins and sliding to the ground. His face was flushed, smeared with dirt, sweat running down his brow.

“I was trying to dig out the people buried by the Stoneborn.” He muttered, burying his head in his hands. “I thought someone might still be alive... I shouldn't have wasted my time.”

“You did the right thing. Better to search for survivors and find none than leaving those that might still be alive to die, brother.” Xander told him, his voice hoarse, and tired. The elder prince shook his head, his jaw tight. “Unleashing Stoneborn into a pitched battle... Faceless are bad enough. How many of our own people were felled by those abominations? How could Father have agreed to such a thing!?”

 

“Didn't I tell you, Xander? Didn't I warn you what he would do!? If this is the price to pay for victory, then he will pay it! If he truly cared about his people, he would not have made a deal with the devil wherein _they_ are the bartering chip!” Despite the tears still sticky on her cheeks, Nerr's voice was surprisingly firm when she spoke. The pain was beginning to make her light headed, so it was a blessed relief when Jakob staggered back from the critically wounded she had sent him off to see about. There wasn't enough power left in the staff he held to fix her arm, but at least it mostly closed up the gashes in her leg and lower back. He looked practically skeletal, utterly drained by expending so much magic, so much so that she didn't bat an eye as he sat on the ground beside Gunther, resting his head on her knee. She was moments away from doing the same, Camilla's suffocating bosom providing an alluring pillow... She shook her head to clear it. There was no time to rest. Not yet.

 

“Ryouma! Azura! It's time for us to finish speaking.” The singing, which had been growing weaker, stopped suddenly, but she was too tired to turn and look for the songstress. Ryouma, who appeared to be speaking with Takumi (or talking _at_ him, rather, considering that she hadn't seen the young prince's mouth move once) stiffened, straightening slowly as he turned on his heel, approaching the Nohrians once more. Now that the color had returned to her sight, Nerr could see that his robes _were_ in fact stained with hideous, rust colored splotches, especially around his stomach. The cloth there was torn, and while the skin had been healed, she could still see a thin pink line across his abdomen. “Do you know roughly how heavy your losses were yet?” She had to work to keep her words from sounding like an accusation. The brunette sighed deeply, pain ingrained around his eyes.

 

“I do not know how many soldiers Yukimura brought with him- it appears there were even members of the Flame and Wind tribe tribe. There are well over fifty dead... that could very well be every soldier who came with me.”

“I am truly, deeply sorry for the loss of your people, Prince Ryouma.” Xander reached out, as though he wished to lay a hand on the other man's shoulder, but stopped himself. Whether it was because he thought it would seem too familiar, or else, because he suddenly remembered the man he thought to comfort was technically speaking his enemy remained unknown to anyone but himself. “I had absolutely no intention of any lives being lost here today. ...first Chevalier, then Nestra, and now this... Gods, what will even be left of Nohr at this rate?” He hung his head, shoulders slumping, looking more tired than Nerr had ever seen him. Even though she had _wanted_ him to realize this, his realization didn't make her feel any better. The sight of her brother looking so lost, so beaten down, made her throat tighten. Blinking hard, she forced herself to sit straighter.

 

“Do you see now? Do you two see? It will not get better from here. Everything will only get worse. Hoshido will _not_ be able to withstand more attacks like this; Nohr has too much at it's disposal. Too many soldiers, the Faceless, hell; I didn't even know those Stoneborn things existed until today! They're fucking terrifying! Why do they exist!?” Her voice grew more hysterical as she remembered the earth shifting under her feet, the people buried alive. Gunther squeezed her hand reassuringly with both of his.

“They're used to dig mines, Nerr. ...but there _are_ times when they're used in battle. Mostly as a last resort since, well... 'they're fucking terrifying'.”

“They were attacking _our_ soldiers. I was in the middle of that fray; there were hardly any Hoshidans even there, it was Nohrians fighting Nohrians, and Iago was _slaughtering our own people!_ ” Despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, the Nohrian princess could feel tears streaming down her cheeks as she glared at Xander. He winced, averting his gaze.

 

“I didn't know, little princess--”

“The hell you didn't know! You told him, didn't you? You told Garon you were coming here and the emperor of Hoshido would be here, and he told you to launch an attack! And you acted as though you would go along with it, but you didn't because that's what you _always_ do! It's what you've always done, and that's why he sent Iago to do what he knew you wouldn't! So don't stand there and tell me you didn't know! If _I_ knew, _you_ knew!!!” She could feel her head splitting open like a melon, blood tricking into her eyes as her temples throbbed in time with her pulse. Groaning, she slumped forward, pushing Camilla back. Her betrothed shifted closer, the beginnings of her horns scraping against his cuirass. She was probably crushing Jakob with her own, but the butler didn't say anything, patting what little bit of her arm wasn't covered by scale mail.

 

“Ryouma... Prince Xander...” Azura's voice was faint, scratchy, a poor imitation of her usual dulcet tones. “As horrible as this is, the destruction you see here is only a taste of what will befall your countries if Anankos gets a hold of them. And when they are weakened by months, years of war, he _will_ get a hold of them.”

“I looked up this 'Anankos' you two keep talking about when I returned to Krakenburg.” Leo said, his brows furrowing. “I could only find the most abstract mentions of him in ancient texts, mostly about the old wars. Some sources called him a demon, others a god.”

“He was one of the Ancient Ones.” Nerr told him quietly. Ryouma exhaled sharply.

“I'm fairly certain 'god' and 'demon' conflate to the same thing when speaking of man eating beasts the size of continents.” Xander turned his attention entirely to his brother.

 

“What else did you discover, Leo?”

“That's just it. Almost nothing. It's pretty clear he was one of the great dragons that shaped the world, he's listed amongst the Dawn and Dusk dragon, but I couldn't find any mention of his army. No country, not even a tribe.”

“Because he erased them from existence, at least out here. And if anyone speaks of it our here, they'll be erased from existence as well. And I assure you, it's far more painful than anything you'll suffer out _there._ ” Azura gestured to the nearly empty valley, devoid of almost everything but the weapons of the fallen, a grim moment.

“And how do you propose we face a god?” Ryouma asked her, his voice hard.

 

“There's something that can stop him; the Seal of Flames. But--”

“ _But_ ,” Nerr interrupted her. “Before we can even think about that, we need to figure out where Anankos is, and in turn we need to ensure that both kingdoms will still be standing when we return. And, as I said before, I propose Hoshido surrender.” The newly turned emperor opened his mouth, slowly letting it fall shut as he (hopefully) pondered her words in silence. Were everyone as quiet while thinking as he... Hinoka, who had been lingering ever closer to their group, Takumi following her in a daze, raised her voice.

“Do you truly expect us to kowtow to the monster that destroyed our family, Nerrida? Hoshido has spent decades- _centuries-_ beating back the Nohrians, and after all this, you believe we should simply give up to those honorless dogs?” She raised her gaze to the Hoshidan princess.

 

“...does honor truly mean so much to you?” The other woman scoffed slightly, incredulous.

“What are we without honor?”

“I see. ...then perish.”

“What?”

“You asked what I expect you to do. If you were intelligent, I'd expect you to follow the path paved with the least amount of corpses, but since you, like so many of your kind, put honor above reason, then I expect you to die.” The red-haired girl gaped at her, hurt in her eyes that Nerr could not care less about at the moment. Honor had no place here, not now. Ryouma seemed to understand that.

 

“That is enough, Nerrida. Hinoka is right; to simply give up after we've fought so hard and for so long is disgraceful... but it is more disgraceful to allow another massacre to happen.” He sighed, a shallow, shaky breath. “I saw what Garon does to those who openly oppose him. Good men and women, slaughtered like animals. Scarlet... I cannot let the same fate befall my people. I will meet with King Garon and discuss terms of surrender--”

“We don't have _time_ for that!” Azura barked. “Look at the sky! When it changes completely, we won't be able to reach Anankos. Traveling to Windmire and back will take far too long.”

“Not to mention, I can't imagine Garon being willing to discuss 'terms' with you.” Nerr added bitterly. “If I know him, and let's be frank; I do, his 'terms' will be 'Total surrender and I won't murder the rest of your family.' ...probably. ...it's just as likely that he'll just kill you to make sure you don't pose a threat in the future.” The Nohrians nodded grimly, muttering in agreement.

 

“Then what should I do?” The teal-haired girl shrugged as best she was able to.

“Fake your death? Let him think you were killed here, that he won.” Leo frowned at her.

“That's... actually rather smart, sister. Too smart for you. But... Father would want proof.”

“Then send him one of those charred corpses.” Camilla intoned. “That got him to believe Nerr was dead... for a while. But by the time he's realized we've bamboozled him, we'll be looking for this Anankos demon.”

“Father would want better proof than that, especially after being fooled once by that same trick already.” Xander's voice was grim. Silence fell over them again, until a grating voice cleared it's throat.

“Ummmm... perhaps... _I_ could be of assistance there...?” Zola crept closer to them, in the timid, fearful way a beaten animal might approach... if said animal was also an abnormally large spider. Leo scowled, half getting to his feet.

 

“Be gone, you foul mis-creation! Don't you cause enough trouble for us?”

“Leo, wait.” She silenced her brother with a look, turning her (skeptical) attention back to the other mage. “What 'assistance' could you possibly offer?” He grinned at her, a mouth full of too many, too small teeth.

“King Garon wants proof of Prince Ryouma's demise, you say? Well... who would he listen to...” The air around him glowed, his very pores emitting light similar to the Rainbow Sage when he had transformed, only a thick cloud of sulfuric smoke blinded them rather than the light itself. As they coughed, an all too familiar voice slithered into their ears. “More than his right hand man?” The change happened before she was even consciously aware that it had taken place, her jaw snapping loose as her horns erupted from her skull.

 

“ _YOU!!”_ Were she not blocked by three people, Nerr would have launched herself at the vulgar form in front of her. It wasn't for lack of trying that she didn't, knocking Jakob aside, desperately held back by both Gunther and Camilla. Iago fell back, scrambling away from her on his back, abject terror making the pocked and pitted half of his face even uglier.

“Waitwaitwaitwait!!! It's me, it's me!! I'm Zola! Don't kill me!!” Another puff of smoke left the skeletal Zola cowering in Iago's place, moaning in terror. Breathing hard, she went slack, all the adrenaline draining from her now that the threat was gone. Jakob gaped at her.

“Gods above, Lady Nerr; pardon my candor, but Izumo fucked you up, didn't it?” She paid her retainer no mind, keeping her eyes trained on Zola as her jaw reattached to it's tendons.

“ _If you ever do that again in_ front of me, I will eat you. I will rip you into bite sized pieces, and I will _eat them._ ”

 

“Well...” Xander looked between the mage and his sister. “You certainly are... convincing. Nerr knows full well that Iago is dead, and you still managed to illicit such a reaction. You may very well be able to fool my father.” Panting, the shorter man pushed himself to his feet, dusting his shabby robes off.

“O-of course I can. Iago always thought himself to be a master of illusions, but he couldn't fool street children. Me... _I_ am a master of my craft. Maybe I couldn't do an exact imitation of Lord Leo when put on the spot, but I know that wretched eunuch's mannerisms better than _he_ does. Or rather, _did._ ” Leo pulled a face at the mention of his name, but his skepticism came back almost immediately.

“So now we're all aware of _what_ you can do. The question that remains is why _would_ you do it? You've proven you can't follow even the simplest of orders. This time, we didn't even _give_ you an order, yet you volunteered. And considering I tried to execute you when last I saw you, I can't very well imagine why you would be so eager to help us.” Beady eyes, sunken deep within their sockets, turned to glare at the prince.

 

“You're right, Lord Leo. I'm _not_ eager to help you. The last time I tried to help, you repaid my efforts by trying to kill me, so _you_ , young prince, can suck my dick.” While the boy sputtered indignantly, Zola turned to face Nerr properly, still somewhat averting his now softened gaze. “...I _do_ want to help _you_ , Lady Nerr.” She gaped at him.

“.... _why_ _though_ _?_ You know I tried to kill you, right? I tried to kill you again not a minute ago.”

“I-I know... that was all on me, though. I tried killing you first in Izumo, even though I probably could have just killed the Hoshidans and left you... and... you _really_ aren't the only person who reacts to seeing Iago like that.”

“Even so, why would you do anything to help me?” He looked down, shamefaced.

 

“Because you saved my life. I have no doubt Lord Leo would have killed me--”

“Because I would have.”

“--and you stopped him. I don't care _why_ you did it; you did. And...” He muttered something indecipherable.

“What?”

“You... applauded me. At the fete.” He looked up, ugly splotches of color on his sallow cheeks as anger burned in his eyes. “I created new spells just for that event, and those shit-faced nobles didn't even spare a glance in my direction. To the royals, I may as well have not even been there! ...but you were right there at the front of the room, milady... looking on in wonder... and when I was done, you smiled and clapped. Like you actually enjoyed my performance.” Nerr looked away as everyone's eyes focused on her. She had not lied in Izumo when she said she remembered very little of the fete. Two years was not a lot of time, but that whole night left such a sour taste in her mouth that she'd put it all from her mind. Vaguely, she remembered something akin to sparkly lights in pleasing shapes. Maybe that had been him.

 

“...I have only hazy recollections of that night. But... I have no doubt that I enjoyed whatever it was you did. If you used your magic for something other than trying to _murder me_ , I would no doubt enjoy it more.” He laughed nervously, a grating cackle. Xander frowned deeply as he listened to the mage speak, standing once he had finished.

“Then it is decided. You will return to Nohr, disguised as Iago, and tell our Father that Emperor Ryouma was killed in battle and the other Hoshidan royals fled. As far as he knows, Hoshido is now his to rule. I will tell our soldiers what they are to say if asked, and make sure there are no... objectors.” Groaning, the crown prince pushed himself to his feet, walking over to those still standing. Ryouma sighed deeply.

“I suppose I should do the same. It will be a bitter pill for my men to swallow, but...” He looked from Nerr to Azura. “You two have been right thus far. It is high time I realized there are those who know better than I.”

000

 

It was a slow but steady progression of the sky changing colors. When Nerr opened her eyes, the fingers of dark and light had stretched a little further on both sides. She hadn't even been aware that she'd fallen asleep, only that when she awoke, she wasn't wearing the vambrace on her sword arm... and it was no longer broken. She could squeeze her fingers with barely any pain at all. Even her leg and back felt almost good as new. She was laying on the cold, hard ground, but there was a blanket over her. It wasn't over Gunther, however, even though he lay right beside her, his fingers still intertwined with hers. She threw the cover over him as well, her lips curling into a small smile. Such a little thing, just being able to use her primary arm again, felt like a momentous blessing. Her heart sang as she flexed her fingers, stopping as an amused huff of air behind her caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end.

 

“It seems Elise did a fine job of healing you.” Sighing, the princess shifted onto her back, glaring at Xander. The prince was so close she rolled over onto his sabatons, a move that would have been painful had she not still been in full armor.

“How long have you been there, you weirdo?” He smiled softly.

“Long enough. I used to watch you sleep all the time, little princess. You would run laps until you collapsed and I would carry you to your bed and tuck you in...” The tender look in his eyes hardened as his eyes drifted over to the knight, more specifically, his hand and Nerr's both. “...how long has _this_ been going on?” At once, her heart turned to ice.

“ _Not_ long enough.”

“Nerr--”

“Don't you 'Nerr' me, Xander. I--” A quiet groan and a shift that resulted in the pair's fingers coming loose stopped her.

 

“Nerr, what--” Gunther's bleary eyes snapped open fully the moment he noticed Xander. “....Prince Xander.”

“You impudent--” Without thinking, Nerr reached out, shoving her brother hard in the chest. Resting on the balls of his feet, he toppled back, giving the princess enough time to get up, much to her betrothed's apparent confusion.

“Nerr, what are you--” She pressed her lips to his forehead, trying to soothe the furrows there.

“Go back to sleep, dearest. I need to have words with my brother.” She grabbed Xander's arm, heaving him to his feet with surprising ease and leading him away before he could say anything. The soldiers were gone, she noticed, as were many of the bodies, large mounds of freshly unearthed soil in place of some of the piles. Had she been sleeping for so long that they managed to dig graves in that time? What day was it? The crown prince tore his hand away from her grip.

 

“What is the meaning of this, Nerr?”

“The meaning is quite clear, Xander; it's not your concern. What I do with my life, and who I do it with, is no business of yours.”

“I am your _brother_. Regardless of who you were born to--”

“Oh, so you remember that now? Where was all this brotherly concern when I was telling you about the attack your father orchestrated that nearly got me killed!?”

“Sister...” He sighed, reaching up to pinch the crooked bridge of his nose. The redness and swelling was mostly gone from his face, though he still lacked a large patch of hair on the right side, his skin tight and shiny. “I only want what is best for you. I feared the Hoshidans had somehow convinced you of their lies--”

 

“No, _brother_. The only one trying to convince me of lies is _you_ , because you're a fucking idiot. And a mean one at that. You're _just_ like your father sometimes, you know that?” She hissed bitterly. “Even when I know the truth, you _still_ think I'm stupid enough to believe you implicitly. You _knew_ he would never arrange a marriage for me! You probably knew what he was planning for me all along, and instead of letting a lonely little girl believe a comforting lie for a few more years, you ripped my happiness out from under me!” She could barely speak, her throat was so tight, could hardly see him through the tears welling in her eyes. Even though there was nothing at stake here, even though she was just spewing the words that had been fermenting inside her for years, she _still_ felt like a failure for getting so emotional. Clearly, Xander felt the same way, rolling his eyes as only a long suffering brother could.

 

“You're being overly dramatic, little princess...” He reached out to pat her head, and she slapped his hand away. Hard.

“Do you even know _why_ I became so diligent in my training in the last two years?”

“To join the fight for Nohr's betterment--”

“Fuck Nohr's betterment! It was because I would rather die on the battlefield than be used as a bartering chip in some loveless marriage! I love _Gunther,_ and I would fucking _kill myself_ before I let you sell me to some random nobody lord!” Her voice was louder than she had expected it to be, carrying far, far further in the valley than it had any right to, a chorus of Nerrs screaming like gods damned lunatics. Those that were left, namely her siblings and their retainers that hadn't died, all stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Embarrassment burned something fierce in Nerr's cheeks, but even though she felt like vomiting, she would not allow herself to be further humiliated.

“Oh, shut up! You all heard me! And I stand by it!” _Most_ of her unwanted audience looked away, though she could definitely feel several gazes boring through her, most notably Xander himself. She couldn't decipher the emotions swirling in his eyes, but knew enough to know she didn't like them at all. Despite her desperate wish to be confident and unafraid, she felt herself shrinking away from his gaze.

 

“You have changed so much in so little time, little princess. I always feared that the world outside the Citadel would change you... but not like this. You aren't--”

“What? I'm not _what?_ Accepting my role as chattel anymore? Nodding quietly and deferring to everything you say? Am I not your perfect 'little princess' anymore, Xander? I have something so much more worrisome than your opinion to care about now, brother. You will realize that soon enough. And then, you can either be glad that I am... truly happy and content with my lot for the first time in my life... or you can keep insisting you're not my brother when it doesn't suit you, and you won't be.” Turning on her heel, Nerr walked back to where a small group of mostly Nohrians and a few Hoshidans had gathered. Her thrown-back shoulders suggesting a nonchalant confidence she most _certainly_ did not feel. Leo side-eyed her as she approached.

 

“Well. That was... loud.” Felicia giggled slightly.

“Aw, I thought it was sweet... in a... very 'Nerr' way. A grand declaration of love, filled with swearing~ But... since when have you liked Sir Gunther, Lady Nerr?” She gaped at her former maid.

“...since literally forever, Felicia. I was dreaming of our wedding when I was _eight_.”

“Really? Weird... you never _acted_ like you had a crush. Now Flora; you can _tell_ that she likes Jako-- oops.” She looked down, her eyes wide with shame. “That was supposed to be a secret...” The princess set her hand on the other girl's shoulder.

“It'll stay between us. Between... all of us. I have to thank you so much for showing up, Felicia.” Melancholy immediately forgotten, the pink-haired girl laughed easily.

“Aww, don't sweat it, Lady Nerr. I'm just surprised you actually managed to get a letter to us. Our tribe was in hiding, but I guess not well hidden enough.” Nerr looked around even as she spoke. What few people were left were scattered all around.

 

“Ryouma said the Hoshidan tribes were here as well. Have they left already?”

“Not yet.” She turned to see a somewhat familiar swarthy face approaching from the south, with a slightly less familiar young boy in tow. “We're leaving in a few minutes; it's a long way back to our village.”

“And Fuuga-sama will be wanting to know all about this. He isn't going to take too kindly about King Garon storming in like he owns the place, but it's better that we not be caught unprepared.” The boy (Hayato, she thought?) looked quite pleased that he was so pragmatic.

“Of course. I am... beyond sorry that I even sought to involve your people, but I was afraid something like this would happen, and I seem to have a keen sense for terrible things.” Rinkah scowled at her.

 

“I couldn't care less about some altercation between Nohr and Hoshido, regardless of what my father might wish. The _only_ reason I didn't throw your stupid letter _and_ it's messenger both in the fire is because I owed you my life. That debt is now paid in full.” The young mage's lips twisted in disgust.

“It doesn't bother you that the emperor of Hoshido could have been killed tonight?”

“No.”

“Heathens...” He muttered under his breath, quickly stepping away as she fixed him with a demonic glare. Clearing his throat, Hayato addressed Nerr once more. “W-well, Fuuga-sama actually _cares_ about the world and would rather _not_ have it be destroyed. He wanted to come himself, but he knows _I'm_ the most powerful mage in our tribe.”

 

“And he's probably right.” The princess acquiesced. “You saved our hides, all of you. We would be the ones lying dead were it not for your aide.” She could not curtsy as she had no skirt (and it would look stupid if she tried it with her cape) so the Nohrian girl bowed deeply. “You have my most sincere gratitude.”

“Yeah yeah, just don't walk into anymore obvious traps from now on.” Rinkah barked, looking wholly uncomfortable with her thanks. She turned on her heel, heading back to her people without a second glance. Hayato started to follow her, stopped, turned and waved before running back to his own tribe members. She waited a moment before turning back to Felicia.

 

“You should probably do the same, Felicia.” The maid's face fell.

“What? No! I wanted to go with you! What if there's another ambush--”

“Felicia.” Nerr's voice was firm as she grabbed the other girl's shoulders. “Where we are going now is so much worse than this. I cannot, in good conscience, bring anyone I believe for a moment I can spare. I already put you in danger once by begging you to help me. If something had happened to you here, I don't know what I would do.” Felicia looked away, her bright eyes misty.

 

“I guess...”

“You have a tribe to take care of. And a sister. You can't do that while you're babysitting me.” She pet the girl's cheek lightly, the cold of her skin seeping in through her glove. “I'll be fine. I need you to be fine too.”

“...okay. But! If you're in trouble, send another letter and I'll have the whole tribe right there!” She smiled in the face of Felicia's bright, sincere stare boring into her.

“I will.” As her former maid reluctantly went back to her people, Leo led an equally reluctant Nerr back to where the other royals had gathered.

 

“I'm impressed, Nerr. You've grown up considerably during our absence.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. You've graduated from 'newborn' to 'toddler'. I daresay you're _just_ about on Elise's level.”

“...don't you ever shut up?” Azura jogged up to meet them, her thin brows furrowed. The Nohrian girl felt her stomach drop. “What is it?”

 

“I don't know, exactly. We need to hurry up; I feel... _something._ Something brewing... _”_ The singer shivered, wrapping her arms around herself despite the mild air.

“Right. Alright, everyone. I've told you all time and again about Anankos. Well now, we hunt him down. The place we're going is dangerous, and we won't be able to get back easily, thus our supplies will be limited.”

“There _are_ Dragon Veins there, so that can help with food a bit, but they're fewer and far between than even here.” Azura explained. “Therefore, I think it best that, for a scouting mission, only we royals go.” At once, a protest went up from angry retainers.

 

“We have to protect Sakura-sama!”

“You cannot expect me to leave Ryouma-sama unattended.”

“I can and I absolutely do. The place we are going requires us to draw a minimal amount of attention to ourselves. If all of you come, you'll just be making us a bigger target. Gih-- That doesn't apply to you two.” She pointed to Selena and Xander's retainer whose name she forgot. “You know too much about Anankos for that to be a coincidence. You're coming too.”

 

“I know about him too!” A man in robes of the most hideously garish shade of yellow she'd ever seen pushed his way to the front of the group. His eyes shone with an unhinged gleam. “A tortured soul, crying into the night, yet no one hears his plea... Please, Lady Nerr! This is the adventure I was promised!” The draconic princess took a step back. The steely haired mercenary sighed, shaking his head.

“Ignore Odin's... enthusiasm, milady. He speaks the truth, however. He _does_ know as much about Anankos as any of us.”

“...then I suppose he'll have to come as well. So that's thirteen...”

“Sixteen.” She looked up from her mental calculations, not having noticed Gunther and Jakob until they flanked her, Kaze lingering slightly behind. Her butler gave her a weary smile. “Surely you didn't think you could leave us behind, milady?” The ninja could not even muster a false smile, but there was a resolute strength in his deep blue eyes.

“You have spoken so much of the dangers that lay in store, Nerr-sama. After what transpired yesterday... I cannot simply stay behind while you and Azura-sama are put into harm's way. _Again._ ”

 

“Well fuck, might as well make that seventeen.” A gruff voice spoke far too close to her. Turning, she nearly smacked headlong into Shura's chest. She frowned at him.

“No.”

“Yes.” He argued. “You've got a proclivity for getting yourself into tight spots, ladyship. Kouga's gonna need a benefactor after this war, and you can't well be that if you're dead. Besides, unlike the rest of this hoity toity entourage of yours, I can find food _without_ having to use ancient dragon magic.” Nerr wanted to argue, but he made a fair point. She had no doubt that someone who lived through multiple hardships would be better suited for surviving a place like Valla than any of her siblings (perhaps that was why Gunther managed to survive, even in his wretched state). All she could do was groan in frustration.

 

“Urgh, _fine!_ You'd best pull your fucking weight.” The thief scoffed.

“I've been pulling my weight since these royal pussies were in diapers.” His attitude and choice of words were clearly not winning over any of the others, but she didn't have time to care about their precious feelings.

“Alright. It's settled. If everything goes right- not that I have any reason to believe it will- we should be back in less than a month. The rest of you; I sincerely suggest you all see if you can't head to the coast in Nohr. Notre Sagesse, Cyrkensia; even with Hoshido under his belt, I cannot predict what Garon will do next. I can only pray that none of you fall victim to it.” Inhaling deeply, the princess tried to settle her churning stomach, heading back north where the canyons were. She could hear the others marching behind her, but the sound did nothing to calm her ragged nerves. Despite telling herself that everything would be fine, she could not shake the feeling that she was leading them to their deaths.

000

 

It was a good half mile to the nearest canyon, the bridge spanning it even more rickety than the one Hans had trapped them on. Xander, Leo, and Elise's steeds wouldn't even step foot on the rotting planks. The sight of their horses made her sick to her stomach. Caractacus would have trotted across it without fear...

 

“So... we're going down _there?_ ” Xander asked as he struggled to pull his mount a few inches further. _“Into_ the Chasm?”

“We have to reach the bottom.” Nerr told him plainly.

“...it's called the _Infinite_ Chasm.” Takumi muttered, his voice dull and hollow. “It doesn't _have_ a bottom.”

“Yes, it does.” Azura pushed past them, marching towards the bridge with determined strides. “I'll show you.”

“Azura, no!!” Hinoka ran towards her, forcibly pulling her back. “You'll kill yourself!”

 

“Hinoka, I've been doing this since I was child!” The blunette struggled to free herself. “I'm not a fool! You just have to believe me.” Without giving the red-haired princess a chance to retort, she ran forward, jumping and vanishing into the darkness to a chorus of distressed cries. Nerr found herself counting, wondering exactly where the other woman landed and how long it would take her to get to the edge. Hopefully she wouldn't land in lake and end up back in Cyrkensia. Seconds turned into long minutes, during which time Sakura began sobbing softly. Nerr had just been about to go over to her when a sudden shift in air pressure drew her attention to a bright light in the sky. It reminded her almost too much of the light of Lilith's portals, and for good reason. The others gasped as Azura fell through it, landing quite a bit harder than she probably expected. Breathing hard, she allowed her siblings to pick her up.

 

“Azura!”

“Nee-sama!”

“Gods above, how did you do that!?” Leo gaped at the her.

“Why was I not aware that was possible!?”

“You can't know everything, baby brother.” Swallowing hard, the singer smiled weakly.

 

“I'm sorry it took so long. It took me a while to find the right place to get back. I was running for so long... my legs are noodles... Do you believe me now?”

“I think we have no choice but to.” Ryouma admitted, his eyes still wide.

“You might hurt yourself landing, but it probably won't kill you. Just mind the rocks.” Nerr told them, stepping onto the bridge herself. Knowing that it wasn't certain death awaiting her made it almost bearable. _Almost_. “And you absolutely _will_ have to push your horses down there, because if you won't _I_ will, and that might give them a heart attack. It's fairly narrow, so we'll go one or two at a time. Camilla?”

“Yes, sweetling?”

“Can your wyvern fly down there?” The older princess bit her lip uncertainly.

 

“Well, I can certainly try, but he might spook before we hit the bottom.”

“You won't 'hit' the bottom.” Azura assured her. “Just about the halfway mark.”

“Kinka can fly down there, no problem.” Hinoka boasted, rubbing her pegasus' neck. “We flew in between mountains and tight crevasses all the time.”

“Then you can go first. Then you, Camilla. And Xander, Ryouma, Elise, Sakura... then rest. I'll bring up the rear.”

 

It was easier said than done, getting their mounts into the chasm. Like Hinoka had said, her steed flew down with relative ease, and despite her misgivings, so did Camilla's. The destriers and Elise's rouncy took some doing. Leo had to use his tome to create a barrier of branches to keep them from fleeing as Nerr forced them back in her dragon form. The sight of their wide, fearful eyes felt like being struck in the heart with a metal rod. It was almost a relief when it was her turn, after she'd watched all the others vanish into the darkness _darker darker still_ _There was nothing below her, she was sinking into an abyss, into nothingness, and no one would even notice..._

 

Shuddering, she backed up, bumping into something solid and warm and most assuredly not a void. Relief flooded her as she looked back, catching a glimpse of her steward.

 

“Oh... Jakob. What are you doing here? I thought you went down with Gunther?”

“Yes... that _was_ the plan... But I felt it prudent to stay back and keep an eye on you, milady.” She smiled at him, gratitude filling her like warm tea.

“You're too good to me, Jakob. I suppose I'm still a bit wary, even though I know full well what's down there. Oh well, no time for fears. We'll go down together, then.” She took his hand, leading him to the edge of the bridge, only to be pulled back. “Don't tell me _you're_ scared too?” Indigo eyes looked away from her.

 

“Yes, but... not of what lies beneath. You... you truly do love him, don't you? ...Th-- G-Gunther.” Nerr had to restrain a giggle. After so many years of calling him 'Old Man', Jakob actually stumbled over the knight's name.

“I do.” She admitted softly. “Before you came to us, he was all I had.”

“And you... you are happy? ...with him?” Her smile widened.

“Happier than I thought possible. But I don't see what that has to do with anything, especially not now.” Jakob's face fell, as she felt bad for being short. “Oh... I'm sorry, Jakob. I know you don't make idle small talk for no reason. Is there someone _you_ have feelings for? You can tell me all about them once we make camp.” Her grin turned teasing. “Is it perhaps Flora...?”

 

“What? _No!_ That bitch is dead to me!” He took her hand in his gauntlets, looking deep into her eyes. “Lady Nerr, I...” Closing his own, he fell silent for a few seconds, smiling when he opened them again. “I just want you to be happy. That's all. There is no one I have feelings for. I live to serve you and none _but_ you, my lady.”

“Oh.” She smiled again, some of the nausea she felt easing. “You must have been dipped in sugar when you were born, Jakob- you're too sweet. Come on; I don't want the others to accidentally run headlong into a group of those water monsters.” She tugged on his hand and this time, he followed her. Inhaling deeply, Nerr closed her eyes and leapt, feeling as though she were floating for a moment before she began plummeting. Unlike the last two times, she did not flail wildly, keeping her limbs close to her body and, surprisingly, she _didn't_ hit the rocks this time. Biting her lip, she decided to take a risk and flipped over onto her back, trying to spot Jakob in the darkness. She could not see her butler. Only eyes. Hundreds, thousands of eyes, bloody, infected orbs staring at her from the void, filled with fire and hatred.

 

_Nerr..._

 

 _“I aM tHe FoRgOtTeN DrAgOn!”_ The voice that, until then, had only itched at the back of her mind now pressed against her ears, with an overbearing pressure that threatened to deafen her. _“ThE bEtRaYeD kInG! tHe EnTomBeD gOd!!!”_ The fire grew brighter, not coming from the eyes, but right beside her. She barely had time to acknowledge the flames crackling before they hit her. She could feel her skin blister, her hair burn. Crying out, the force of the spell sent her off course and she hit the cliff face.

 

“Lady Nerr!” She couldn't see anything but the cinders still clinging to her hair and the sickly violet flames above her. Another ball of fire grew larger and larger, it's golden glow standing out against the purple. It reminded her of the ballista, a ball of fire that reduced anything it touched to dust. “Lady Nerr, watch out!” She couldn't see Jakob, so she had little idea how he got so close, but all she knew was that his eyes met hers as the flames hit him. The impact, even though she was barely touched by it, sent her hurtling into the rocks, their sharp edges slicing her face to ribbons and knocking her around like a child's toy. Whatever she hit her head on knocked her out before she could even register the pain of her skull splitting open.

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A/N- :3

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	16. To Sow Sorrow

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Ch.16- “To Sow Sorrow”

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There was only darkness, around her, inside her, soaking into her pores and lungs. It wasn't so much a tangible surface she could feel herself lying atop as an incorporeal cold she moved through. It was impossible to tell if her eyes were open or not. If she was moving or not. If she was breathing or not. The ground shifted beneath her... or maybe she sat up. Above her (under her?), a crimson moon appeared in the abyss, moving away as soon as she tried to focus her gaze on it. It hovered at the corner of her vision, allowing her to only catch glances at it from her periphery. It seemed to blink, a chasm appearing in it's center, like a slitted pupil, staring at her until it split further, breaking apart with a thunderous crash. That sound was enough to rouse her, forcing her eyes open when she had been certain they'd been open from the beginning. After the black of the Chasm, even the misty gray of Valla was too bright for her, and Nerr closed her eyes once more.

 

All the pain she hadn't yet noticed came crashing down upon her, drawing a pitiful whimper from her cracked, swollen lips. Every time her heart beat, it felt like someone was bringing a hammer down on her skull. Her face felt hot and tight, as though it would burst open if she moved even a single muscle. Apart from the normal things, like dirt and strangely ionized air, she could smell blood, thick enough that she could taste it. No, she actually _could_ taste it; it was _her_ blood, her lips split open, at least one of her teeth ripped out from the root, blood trickling down her throat. The other scent, not as strong but strong enough, was that of char. Something burning, left too long on the fire, the violet flames that rained down onto her, threatening to consume her, blocked by a larger form than her, _Lady Nerr, watch out!_ Forcing her eyes to open again, Nerr swallowed, her throat dry and protesting. She worked her finger into a fist, the knowledge that she _could_ move all that kept her moving. Every muscle in her body screamed in anguish as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her pretty new armor was covered in deep gouges and dents, her cloak already full of tears.

 

“Jakob...” She breathed. He had to have landed somewhere close to her. She didn't even know where she was. It most definitely wasn't the same place they'd landed the first time. There were mountains, but not the one that lay on it's side. If anything, it looked like she was on one of the floating islands, a mass of land that, while covered in bushes and boulders, didn't seem to go on for very far. Fear bubbled in her gut. What if he had landed too close to the edge and fallen off? Even if he landed back at the Chasm, he could still be hurt. Whimpering, Nerr climbed, far too slowly, to her hands and knees, not trusting her legs to stand.

 

“Jakob.” She began crawling forward, following the smell of burnt hair. It had to have been a spell that hit them. His resistance to spells wasn't as great as someone like Leo, or even Felicia. Magic that barely grazed them could hurt him just as badly as it could hurt her, and that had hit him right in the back. She was loathe to see the raw, blistered skin that would result from that. She didn't have his strong stomach, his steady hands. She didn't even have a vulneray on her. The stench of smoke, burnt hair and meat, grew stronger as she neared a particularly dense patch of grass. “Jakob? Can you... can you hear me?” No answer came, aside from the faint, barely there sound of sizzling, like walking past the kitchen when Flora was frying something. “Ja--”

 

Her voice died on her tongue as she neared what she took to be small rock. It wasn't, but rather, a lump of meat, a grayish cream color, smeared with soot. It was a hand, part of a hand- she could see a finger sticking out from it. The sizzling had gotten louder, fat still rendering and popping. As horrible as it was, staring at that charred flesh that had once belonged to a human, she couldn't bring herself to look away, because whatever it came from would only be so much worse. Fear kept her head down, and fear pulled it up. A body lay a few feet from her. It wasn't Jakob, thank the gods. There was nothing even remotely similar to her steward to be found in the twisted, blackened form she'd happened upon. It's clothes had been burnt off, it's hair... Jakob would never allow himself to be seen in such a state of disarray. It was wearing gauntlets and greaves, the black metal cracked, gray with ash, but so what? Armor was a common thing. It wasn't him. She let out the breath she had been holding. It wasn't him. He was somewhere else.

 

“Jakob! Jakob, where are you??” He must have fallen somewhere else, maybe on another island. She was all alone on this one, alone with a stranger's corpse, it's arms spread wide, the blackened skin split open like the crust on a roast, the meat so overdone it was falling off the bone, wrist bones visible where the hand had fallen off “Jakob!!” She had to find him. She had to stop staring at this still smoldering body, what was left of it's face twisted into a look of pure terror, pure agony, as though it had died screaming, smoke rising up from it's cracked and bloody lips, cooked from the inside-- “Jakob!!! Where are you!? Answer me!!!” Her voice broke as she screamed, throat tight with tears that ran down her face, stinging the cuts there.

 

She needed to get up and look for him, not sit here, weeping over a stranger's corpse. It didn't matter how hurt he was, he could at least have the decency to _answer_ her, let her know that he was alive, not the ash and cinders and blistered, cracked pile of meat sloughing off bones because that wasn't him, it wasn't him, it wasn't it _wasn't!!!!_ He was alive, he _had_ to be alive but she couldn't find him because she was all alone, where were the others? Where had they all gone? Where had Jakob gone? Muttering to herself weakly, Nerr managed to get her feet under her, standing up, keeping her arms spread to try and keep her balance, spread like the body's, like Jakob's had been as she shielded her from that spell--

 

“Help!!!” She cried out into the vast nothingness of mist and clouds all around her. Azura had warned them, months ago when they first came to Valla, not to scream. That the monsters were attracted to loud noises. But Azura wasn't there with her now. No one was. Not Xander or Camilla or even Takumi. Not Gunther. Not Jakob. “Somebody!! _Anybody!!_ ” Only the faintest echo responded to her desperate pleas, her voice drifting away weakly. What little strength she had left her, her legs giving out and dropping her to her knees. She didn't even acknowledge the pain as they collided with the hard stone ground. She couldn't feel anything over her ribs collapsing into her heart and lungs, crushing everything inside her as she gasped for breath that wouldn't come. Only the tears came, oozing over her trembling lips. _“_ Please...” She whispered, as though that last pathetic breath might carry further. “...help...”

 

There was no help coming. She'd probably done what Azura had warned could happen and landed on the far side of Valla, far away from anyone who could do anything. _She_ couldn't. She couldn't do anything, not even take an attack that was meant for her. Jakob had to save her just like everyone always did and now he was gone and she was all alone. Curling into herself, around her aching heart, Nerr cried, making no effort to stop. She could hear scuffling, a faint scratching coming from beneath her, like rats under the floorboards in the Citadel, growing louder and closer, but she didn't stop weeping even as she glanced up. Flames licked the edges of the island, the same flames that had filled the Chasm, but these didn't burn away hair and clothes and everything familiar.

 

They just grew taller, stronger, as the limbs they rose from clawed their way onto the flatter earth. Sloshing water accompanied the crackling fire as hands and legs and torsos slithered up over the edge, rising up until they resembled something human. She couldn't tell how many there were; her tears made everything blur and double, out of focus, but there were enough. They held weapons, probably. She could fight them off, probably. Or maybe not. Maybe she would just _be_ there, unable to think, to understand what was going on until someone else came and saved her from her own stupidity... With a shaking hand, she reached for the Yato, but no sooner than her hand touched the grip did another wave of sorrow course through her, leaving her doubled over as she wept. The monsters let out a gargling screech as they charged. The darkness behind her closed eyes turned red, but there was no pain from a spell.

 

|Lady Nerr, get back!| Momentarily startled from her grief, she opened her eyes, surprised to see Lilith hovering in front of her, but expecting it. The creatures did not slow their charge, not caring _who_ they fell upon. Gasping, Nerr scrambled to her feet, fumbling for her sword, but it was too late. They were too close; they would cut Lilith down to get to her and it would be all her fault.

“Lilith!!” The small dragon moved, but not out of the way like she had prayed. No, the felid creature opened her mouth, wide, wider, wider, her jaw unhinging until her maw was wide enough for another Lilith to pass into, the flesh at the around her mouth gathering like folds of cloth. She inhaled, sucking in air until her tiny body had almost doubled in size before unleashing a bright blue shock wave with a wet hacking sound. It looked like light to Nerr, a wide arc that cut through the zombies, cutting completely through their gelatinous bodies, but it rippled like water, even leaving wet spots on the ground. Like the Vallite demons, it too lost it's structural integrity, wobbling and eventually giving out over the edge of the island, breaking apart as it fell. Ferns and lichen and mushrooms spread out over the previously barren stone, covered by scraps of rotting cloth and rusted blades only to cover them just as quickly, but Nerr could only look at Lilith as she turned around. The sight of that puddle of viscera inching it's way towards her was quaint in comparison to the yawning abyss she now stared into. She didn't know what her mouth looked like in her dragon form. She never transformed near a mirror. Gods help her if it looked like _this_ one, this deep chasm lined with hundreds of thousands of teeth, jutting out not just from her gums but her palate and cheeks and continuing all the way down her throat, a cavern with every inch coated in serrated stalactites and stalagmites.

 

|Oh. I'm sorry, Lady Nerr! Give me a second.| It seemed to take the equerry some doing to close her mouth once more, a faint pop coming from her jaw as she did, the bright pink gums and saw blades they held once again hidden. |I haven't had to do that in a long time. ...did I scare you? I'm sorry.| No. There was no fear. She didn't feel anything even remotely related to fear. The strength she had found in the moment left her and she fell back onto the ground, her armor rattling. Lilith hovered closer to her, saying something, Nerr could feel the vibrations in her head, but she couldn't make out the words over the buzzing, the thrumming of her pulse and thoughts. |Lady Nerr? We need to go.|

“Jakob...” She whispered, burying her face in her hands. Where could she even go? She had no idea where anyone else was. She couldn't do anything on her own... The skittering, scratching grew louder again as more watery limbs clambering onto the island, clawing their way towards her like demonic spiders the size of men. A gurgling screech rang out above them. A wyvern, bones and organs sloshing around inside it's liquid body, dove towards them, it's rider wielding a rusted club aimed directly at her head. Lilith had unhinged her jaw once more, but was focusing on the shambling remnants charging at them with their axes and swords. If she stood up, swung her sword, she could at the very least beat it back. But even as the gears in Nerr's mind ground into motion, her body remained locked in place. Her arm may as well have been carved from stone as much as she could move it. A bolt of dark red, almost black, magic struck the dragon through it's ribs, tearing it apart. Water and bones and rotting flesh rained down upon them as it's rider hit the ground and burst open.

 

“Nerr!” Great leathery wings kicked up clouds of dust as another wyvern, this one much more whole, landed atop the verdant plane that had been gray stone and dust only seconds earlier. Camilla dismounted first, already kneeling beside her sister before Xander had even stood up. “Oh, my baby! What happened to you!?”

“Camilla, look out!” There was no time to look out, the older princess crying out in pain as an arrow struck her unguarded shoulder. While one creature shifted to nock another arrow, another pulled forth a mildewed tome, the glowing runes around it barely visible through the flames licking it's feet. A thin spear knocked the book from it's hands, impaling it and ripping it apart as it was yanked back. A pegasus touched down gracefully on the far edge of the island, it's calm demeanor shot as dozens of hands closed around it's hind legs, trying to pull it over the edge. Ryouma jumped down, unsheathing his blade and severing them all in one stroke. Even without their hands, the monsters did not stop, slithering onto solid ground and lunging at anything close to them. Hinoka swung her spear, leaving a trail of cinders in it's wake.

 

“Dammit! What are these things!?” The watery soldiers swarmed, coming in from all sides. They were legion, three rising up in place of every one that was cut down. While Theodorus snapped at anything that came too close, the wyvern still could not fight off the monsters that tried to pierce it's hide with rusted spears. Hinoka's pegasus fared even worse, it's massive flapping wings enough to concuss a human perhaps, but barely fazing beings who felt neither pain nor trauma. They closed in all around, flames growing brighter, giving off no heat but she could feel it burning her skin, her hair, a dark shadow overtaking her, blocking the brunt of it... Nerr covered her ears against the clash of metal. Gods, just let them kill her and be done with it, aim true for a chink in her armor. Legs crowded around her, the flames burning into her eyes.

 

_“_ _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach...”_

 

Even above the clang of steel, the grunts of exertion, Azura's voice rang clear. With every word, the flames began sputtering, large globs of water sloughing off the creatures as they writhed, vibrating and bursting apart. Nerr cringed as she felt the slimy liquid splash onto her skin, immediately thinking to wipe it off, but unable to move her arms. The others panted, but it was the thunderous rumble of stones falling that actually drew her attention away from the gloves she'd been crying into. For a horrible moment, she thought something above them was beginning to fall, ready to crush them all. It wasn't above them, but below them, it seemed. Boulders that had to have been torn from mountains rose up, scraping against one another as they formed a sort of bridge. Blurred as it was, she could already see figures running along it to where they stood.

 

“Nii-san, did you--”

“AHHH!” Camilla's shriek made her heart stop, the older princess dropping her ax as she clawed at her chest. “What is this!? Get it off of me!!”

“It's on me too!” Ryouma realized belatedly, disgust and horror fighting for dominance as he tried to pull off the moss spreading up his robes, his neck, even leeching onto his face.

“Everybody, calm down!” Azura's voice was quieter even though it was closer now, and she stopped before she made it onto the island, doubled over, breathing hard. “It can't hurt you.”

 

“It's _growing_ on us!” Xander's normally calm tone was pitched up in terror.

“It's just blood.”

“ _This_ is blood? What is this nightmare!?”

“We can discuss it somewhere else. It isn't safe here!” While they spoke, Nerr finally managed to unlock her joints, make her muscles obey her again. She couldn't stand; she just couldn't. She found herself crawling away from the others, back to the body. It was an even sorrier sight now. Those... _things_ must have trampled him in their haste to add more bodies to the landscape. She could see where part of his torso had been caved in, one leg broken off at the knee, hanging on only by a few shreds of meat. They must have melted atop him too, as moss had begun climbing up the blackened flesh and bones. There were broken pieces of wood beside the body that she hadn't noticed before, most of them so charred they were indistinguishable from anything else, but few pieces retained their shape, their color. A shattered crystal sat affixed to one in particular, that of a healing staff. A pitiful whine caught in throat as her tears poured forth anew.

 

|Lady Nerr? What is it? Are you-- oh gods!!| Lilith had slowly crept closer, recoiling at once. |Wh-what... who is that!?| She could not answer but for a louder wail. Their exchange, if one could call it that, drew the attention of the other royals. The air smelled green as they crushed newly sprouted foliage underfoot.

“Nerr? What's wrong, darling?”

“Sister, what are you... good lord...” The way they all crowded around made her feel sick, like it was some kind of spectacle they were looking upon.

 

“Nerr? Nerr!” At once, her tears stopped, replaced by a horrible dread congealing inside her. She stood up, trying to get to him, but Gunther had already pushed his way forward, knocking Xander to the ground in his haste. He stopped in his tracks, dropping his lance, his eyes drawn away from her to the body behind her. She'd heard and read that there were things that could 'break' a man, but she'd always assumed that was something hyperbolic. She didn't think it was possible to break something as intangible as a spirit or soul, but gods above, it was. She _saw_ that intangible part of her retainer break, saw it in his eyes as they widened, as his mouth fell open in horror and he stumbled past her, falling to his knees and crawling the remainder of the way.

 

“No... no, no, no...! Jakob...!” He reached out, his hand shaking as badly as his voice before it fell away. He wailed, a torturous sound that clawed it's way from the depths of his very soul. It filled Nerr's ears like crushed glass, leaving her feeling raw and bloody inside. She had to close her eyes, look away, cover her ears, but she could still hear his gut-wrenching sobs and tearful, incoherent mutterings- she could almost pick out something that sounded like “my boy!” and it just made her even sicker. She wanted to leave; she didn't deserve to be here, to be a part of his grief when it was _her_ fault in the first place. ...but she couldn't. She couldn't even take one lousy step, could barely keep her hands over her ears as she gasped for breath in between her own sobs.

000

 

Nerr didn't know how much time had passed. She could have looked to the sky, tried to see if there was a sun behind those clouds, but lifting her eyes from the dirt was too much work for nothing. Her siblings, she had no idea which ones, had tried to lead her away, but she had given up on walking one step in, letting herself fall back to the earth, not caring how badly that fall hurt. No physical pain, no broken bones or cuts or burns, hurt nearly as acutely as the sound of Gunther crying behind her. Every gasp, every sob may as well have been a knife in her heart. If she was anything remotely resembling a good person, she'd have gone to him, but she wasn't. She was weak and selfish, and instead curled into a ball so she too could weep without having to see anyone looking at her. She could feel their gazes, but as long as she didn't _see_ the disappointment in their eyes, she didn't care.

 

She didn't stop until her body physically _made_ her stop, stopped producing tears, stopped wracking her body with sobs... it seemed the knight was in the same boat as the choked wailing had stopped, leaving only weak, miserable moans in their place. She could feel the ground vibrate against her cheek as heavy boots came closer. Xander knelt beside her, lowering himself down on his hands so that she could better see him (there was no point in doing so just for him to look at her).

 

“What happened, little princess?” His voice, quiet as it was, still echoed too loudly in her aching skull. Nerr shook her head, dust clinging to the blood and tears on her face.

“I don't know...” She breathed. How could she explain anything that had transpired? The prince looked unsatisfied with her answer, sitting back up with a heavy sigh.

“You had to have seen _something_. Anything. You were the last one to jump--” A soft voice cleared it's throat, Azura seeming to slide over the ground.

“We can talk about these things _later_. Right now, we need to go. These creatures can come from nowhere.” He wasn't at all pleased with being told he'd have to wait for answers, but the older man didn't argue.

“Come along, little princess.” He grabbed her wrist, his grip gentle, attempting to pull her up, but the draconic princess went stiff.

 

“No. Jakob...” Her voice broke. They couldn't just... leave him like that. All alone, to be crushed by monsters... The other royals didn't share her sentiments.

“We don't have time to deal with him, Nerrida.” Ryouma said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sometimes in battle, you must leave some behind.” Fury, raw loathing, burned in her chest, her anger giving her the strength to sit up and open her mouth, but the voice that spoke was not hers.

“No time...?” The samurai's attention was drawn over to Gunther, the knight slowly climbing to his feet. Another man may have looked somewhat pathetic with his eyes swollen and red, tears still damp on his cheeks, but the contempt, the pure hatred that burned in his eyes gave him the appearance of something terrifying. “We don't have _time?!_ When it's one of your whore sisters laying there dead, we'll see if you feel the same!” She could see him charging forward, fully intending to let his displeasure with the young emperor's words be known physically. Scrambling to her feet, Nerr held him back, more of a feat than she'd thought she'd have to contend with.

 

“That's _my boy!_ Don't tell me just leave him here to rot!!” Sorrow bled into the anger, his voice cracking as he once again broke down, sobbing weakly. She almost buckled under his weight as Gunther fell to his knees, clutching to her cloak as he wept into her shoulder. She could feel the neck of her surcoat growing damp. Reaching up with a shaking hand, she combed her fingers through his hair, lilac strands catching in the hinges of he gauntlets.

“Shhh... don't worry. We're not going to leave him here. We'll bury him.”

“Nerrida, we don't--” She looked over her shoulder, teeth itching as the colors desaturated.

“Ryouma, if one more word comes out your fucking mouth, _I will_ _ **eat you**_ _ **r**_ _ **family**_ _!_ You're worthless... just go. _Go!_ ” If they were afraid of monsters, they could all just leave. One of them approached her, not her brothers or sisters, but Azura. The singer set her hand on Nerr's arm, squeezing it slightly.

“Do you... want us to stay?”

“No...” The singer remained silent for a moment, removing her arm.

 

“We won't be far. We won't go anywhere until you come back.” She didn't bother watching them walk away. It didn't seem like there were many places they could go, and even if they did somehow vanish, would it really be so much worse than anything else that had happened so far? Inhaling deeply and regretting it as the smell of cooked meat turned her stomach, Nerr let her eyes close. She flinched as the after image of bright flames painted the insides of her lids. Somehow, she managed to regain control of her emotions before Gunther, which was to say she gathered them all and shoved them down into the pit of her stomach until it physically hurt but at least she wasn't crying anymore. She tried to pull away, only to have his hands tighten around her.

 

“You stay here, love. I'll...”

“You'll what?” His voice was muffled by her armor, but she could feel the bitterness in his words as they vibrated through her skin. “Dig a grave by yourself?”

“Yes.” This time, it was Gunther who pulled away from her, climbing to his feet with more difficulty than he'd even shown before.

“You don't know what a grave is, Nerr. You don't know what backbreaking work that is.” He bent, grabbing his fallen lance. “Just go back with the others. I'll...” He trailed off, not bothering to complete his train of thought, instead driving the silver blade into the earth. For a moment, Nerr watched him carve the outline of a wide rectangle in silence before she too stood, reaching for her dragonstone. The older man stopped, staring at her with weary exasperation. “Nerr--”

 

“Stop it!” She snapped, her eyes burning. “Don't tell me to leave! He died because of _me!_ This is the least I can do, so please... don't tell me to just leave him here.” Clutching the azure stone, she willed herself to absorb it's power, but she felt nothing. No burning or pain, just a cold rock against her gloves. Groaning, she squeezed it harder; this was no time for her body to decide it didn't feel like being a dragon. Still nothing. She could feel her knuckles pop, trying to force something that now felt as far-fetched as forcing her hair to grow or her ears to twitch.

 

Without warning, the bones in her hand ripped apart, protruding through the skin before it stretched and thickened, her scream of pain silenced by her jaw breaking open. It hurt so much worse this time than ever before, not even a full transformation. Be it mental or physical exhaustion, but that was all she could manage. Still, having hands bigger than spades with sharp points made for as good a tool as any. She worked beside Gunther in silence, clearing away the dirt he hacked away. He was right; it was long, slow, tiresome labor, and she wasn't even doing that much. She could feel sweat beading under her scales, under her armor, her arms weak as the pile of earth beside her grew, the hole still shallow somehow. The older man gave no indication that he was hot or tired, keeping the same steady pace as the hole grew deeper and deeper. They must have been digging for hours, but it seemed like they made no progress.

 

“ _Do you want to take a break?”_ She asked, immediately wishing she hadn't. Breaking their silence felt like some unspeakable taboo, a feeling reinforced by his terse response.

“No.” Even though her arms felt like overcooked noodles, even though her fingers felt like they would break if she lifted any more soil, as long as Gunther didn't stop, she couldn't either. If they ended up working through the night (which seemed likely at that point), then so be it. How dare she think she deserved to feel tired? If she had just died instead of Jakob, she wouldn't _have_ to dig a grave for him, _she_ would be the pile of meat and bones starting to attract flies and she wouldn't be tired at all. Because she'd be dead. No tears burned her eyes in her partial draconic state. Which was good; they'd have gotten in her way. She worked twice as hard, overextending her arms in a way she knew she shouldn't to keep emptying the hole. They couldn't both fit in there. She was so busy trying to make herself useful that she didn't notice anyone behind her until he had cleared his throat.

 

“ _What do you want, Leo?_ ” Her brother couldn't see her irritation, but he could definitely hear it.

“It's been well over an hour, Nerr.”

“ _So!?”_ She rounded on him, the dirt clinging to her claws hitting his armor. “ _If anybody wants to leave, they can just_ _ **leave**_ _. Go with Azura; you don't need me! I'm not going anywhere until I'm_ _ **done**_ _._ ” She half expected the younger boy to sigh and roll his eyes, to tell her this was no time to get emotional and she was being a disgrace to her title... but he didn't. He didn't say or do anything of the sort. His face was soft, his gaze sympathetic, a look completely foreign for him.

 

“I know. I'm not asking you to leave, sister. I'd like to help. I made the graves for the soldiers at the Chasm.” He swallowed, looking down at his tome, thumbing the ancient leather. It had probably been bound with the Rainbow Sage's hide. “I wanted to offer right away, but... it felt disrespectful somehow.” Gunther stabbed his lance into the hard packed soil, glaring up at the younger boy. Even standing at half his height, he seemed to tower over them.

“I don't _need_ your help, princeling.” He hissed. To his credit, Leo didn't flinch (Nerr did). He only dropped his gaze.

“I know you don't _need_ it, Sir Gunther. But I'd like to offer it anyway. You've done more than most people would in your situation.” Nerr felt her muscles tighten, shrinking as her bones regained their proper shape and size. It wasn't until her teeth grew back in that she could speak properly.

 

“Thank you, Leo. That is... very much appreciated.”

“No, it isn't. Your condescension isn't welcome here.”

“Gunther! Stop this! He's trying to be nice!”

“No, he isn't, Nerr! He's mocking me, just like his father would!” Leo frowned deeply at his words.

“Even if I _wanted_ to waste my time making you feel inferior, I wouldn't do it in front my sister while she is _grieving_.” The knight said nothing, his eyes still dark with anger as he took hold of his lance once more, hacking at the earth with a vengeance.

 

“Gunther...” Nerr knelt beside the grave, grabbing the haft to keep him from ignoring her. “You've done enough. You know that. Let Leo help us.” He shook his head.

“It _is_ disrespectful...”

“Letting him sit out here and _rot_ is disrespectful! If Jakob could see you right now, he'd roll his eyes and tell you to stop acting so self-important, old man! It's a _hole_ ; it doesn't matter who digs the damn thing!” She surprised herself with her words, but not as much as her betrothed. He stared at her, wide eyed, as though he'd seen a ghost. He looked away, mouthing something wordlessly before heaving himself out of the grave. He didn't even bother taking his lance, not glancing back as he walked away, towards the land bridge. A part of her wanted to call out for him to come back or wait, but that part of her was selfish and didn't want to be left alone with her guilt. What she really should have wanted was for him to be as far away from this sadness as possible. Pulling the lance out, she rested it across her lap. Leo approached, resting his hand on her shoulder.

 

“Perhaps you should go too, Nerr. I can do this all myself.” The princess shook her head.

“No. This is my fault. Jakob is dead because of me. The least I can do is be with him when he's laid to rest.” Her brother said nothing, simply flipped open his tome. She paid no attention to the spell he cast or how easily the soil dislodged from the earth, forming a perfect hole that would have taken them days to dig in only seconds. She didn't know why Gunther thought the use of magic was disrespectful. Leo's spell managed to lift Jakob while keeping him fully intact; she knew without a fraction of a doubt that if _they_ had attempted it, they would have been laying his legs beside him. Despite thinking she had exhausted her tears, they welled in her eyes as she look down at her steward, so deep in the ground. It felt so wrong, so surreal; how could that be Jakob? How could that blackened husk be the boy she had grown up with? He had been as much a part of her life as Gunther. And now, he was gone, and it was like a piece of herself was gone right along with him.

 

“W-wait!” She called out to Leo as he lifted the pile of dirt off the ground. Fumbling in her bag, Nerr pulled out her dog eared copy of _The Prideful Princess_ , leaning into the hole so she could lay it beside him. “We used to read that when I couldn't fall asleep.” She whispered to her brother, her throat tight, tears dripping onto her armor every time she blinked. “Hopefully, it helps him rest as easily as it did for me.”

000

 

She was grateful for Leo's silence as he led her down the land bridge. Every step she took made Nerr's stomach drop down to her stomach, unable to shake the thought of any one of those stones could drop out from under their feet. But so could the island they had been standing atop for the better part of several hours. They came across Gunther halfway down, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. How he could stare down into that hazy nothingness was beyond her. For a moment, she was afraid he would just ignore them, ignore _her_ , that she had gone much too far, but to her immense relief, he stood up, falling in step just behind her as her brother continued to another, larger island beneath them.

 

With the hand not holding the lance, Nerr pulled at the edge of her cloak, the tips of her gauntlets widening the rips and singed holes. It was the only way she could keep herself from glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. The silence oppressive; without the screeching of gurgling of the monsters, without any speech to fill the void, it struck her just how _empty_ Valla really was. No matter how desolate Nohr seemed, there was always _sound_. Some noise, even if it was just the wind howling or rain pattering against her window. Here, the air was heavy and stagnant. Despite everything _looking_ lush and full of life, it was all dead.

 

Even though the ground she stepped onto was no more solid than the narrow walkway she'd just crossed, the _appearance_ of actually being connected to the earth was more than enough now. _This_ was far more similar to where they'd landed months ago, a massive area that still bore traces of civilization. Pillars, cracked and broken, covered in vines, rose to the heavens. Bricks lay in piles beside the occasional reminder of where a wall once stood.

 

“Was this where you landed?” She asked in a hoarse whisper, her throat still tight and painful. It was a fair distance below where she'd ended up, but not so far that they couldn't have heard her screaming. Leo shook his head.

“We landed more than a mile from here. Well over there.” He pointed across the field, where mountains jutted up from the ground. “Azura said it could take a while for you to land, but Camilla wasn't having that.” They lapsed into silence once more, each left to their own thoughts. They didn't have to travel all the way across the plain before they reached the others, thankfully. Any more quite and she'd have screamed just to alleviate the pressure mounting in her skull. They leaned against the pillars, some sitting on the ground. Elise had been perched atop what remained of an old well, hopping off and dashing to meet them as they approached. She flew past Leo, colliding with Nerr so hard her head smacked against her cuirass. The teal-haired princess winced, but her sister didn't even seem to notice, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

 

“You're okay!” She looked up, her violet eyes wide and bright with unshed tears. “ _Are_ you okay, big sis? I-- I heard what...” She trailed off, sniffling loudly as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Sakura approached as well, her attitude far more retiring than the other princess.

“Nee-sama, I'm-- I'm so s-sorry about Jakob-san...” Her words caught in her throat as she began crying, covering her eyes with her arms as she blindly sought out her sister as well. Elise did not huff or push her away, actually scooting over a bit so the Hoshidan girl could lean against Nerr, sobbing into her torso. “If I'd-- I'd seen it maybe I could-- I c-- I cou--” She couldn't even finish her sentence, she was gasping so badly.

 

For a moment, the older woman wondered why Sakura even shed tears for a man she hardly knew, but her confusion quickly turned to disdain. Not for her sister, gods no; her heart bled for the girl, and she wrapped an arm around each of the younglings clinging to her. But for her other siblings, Xander and Camilla to be exact. They didn't _know_ Jakob, certainly not the way she did, but neither did Sakura. The young princess had known him for all of four months, and she wept for his death. Her beloved elder brother and sister had known him since he came to the Citadel thirteen years ago, and they barely acknowledged any loss had been had. She swallowed her anger, a lump in her throat that sank down with the rest of the emotions she had pushed down today.

 

“You couldn't have done anything, Sakura. He was already gone before he hit the ground. That... _thing_ was trying to kill _me_. Oh gods... why didn't I make sure he went down before me...?! I was supposed to be last!”

“And then _you'd_ be dead.” Takumi remained where he was, seated atop a wall with his knees drawn up to his chest. He didn't even turn to look at her as he spoke. “He _knew_ he was taking a hit to save you; it didn't come from nowhere for _him_.” The younger boy glanced up at her, and she could see the tracks where tears had been running down his face. “Your retainer thought your life was worth saving, even if it cost him his own. Don't spit on his memory by thinking he was wrong.”

 

His words were harsh, not in their tone so much as their honesty. He was right, in a way. _Nerr_ didn't think her life was worth all that much, especially in the grand scheme of things, but Jakob did. He deserved better from her than for her to stand around moping. Standing around, doing nothing and being useless was exactly why she had lingered so long at the Chasm in the first place, why she hadn't noticed that he hadn't gone down when he was supposed to... Sniffling, she tried to straighten up, failing miserably as the aches and pains all over her made it hurt too much.

 

“We need to find shelter for the night, where we can keep our backs against something. The last thing we need is for those zombies to box us in again.”

“Where could we possibly find shelter here?” Hinoka asked, staring around incredulously. “It's a wasteland! Everything is open, and the ground just falls off in places.”

“There are caves all around.” Azura explained, pushing herself away from the pillar she leaned against. “If there isn't one in the mountain back north of us, then there would be one on another island.” She had taken only two steps when Ryouma reached out, grabbing her wrist lightly.

“How do you know about this place, Azura?” She inhaled deeply, looking up at the rippling sky.

 

“This was my home. Those monsters you fought off? Those used to be my people. Valla was a mighty empire, a place of beauty... and now look at it.” For a long moment, they all did just that, truly taking in the desolation, the devastation that surrounded them. For the first time, perhaps, it was truly dawning on the others exactly what could befall _their_ kingdoms, _their_ homes. The singer cleared her throat, breaking them from their trance. “We should get going.”

 

They set out across the plain, their journey mostly in silence. Nerr lagged behind the others, dragging her feet. She couldn't stop glancing over her shoulder, seeing Gunther just behind her and expecting to see Jakob and Caractacus, too. Anankos did this, she thought bitterly, trying to swallow the tears that burned her eyes. _He_ did this, he'd torn her family apart. Had he seen, she wondered? The eyes she'd glimpsed as she fell, had they been his? Was he watching her even now, reveling that he had struck a blow against her before she even knew where he was? She was so caught up in her angry, hateful lamentations that she hadn't noticed the clanking armor behind her grow louder until a large hand grabbed her shoulder. Her aching heart warmed as she assumed he was trying to comfort her, but a quick glance revealed Gunther wasn't even looking at her. The others had stopped, crowded around a large stone structure; he had only been holding her back to keep her from running headlong into them. Embarrassment and dejection churned in her stomach as she slipped out of his grasp, approaching her siblings.

 

“What is it?” She asked quietly.

“That's what I'm wondering...” Shura muttered, moving aside to let her better see. It must have been some sort of shrine, mounted atop a pedestal that leaned to one side, a small tree pushing it over. Thick lichen crept up the ancient stone. It was impossible to tell if it had simply grown like that naturally, of if some unlucky bastard had died clinging to it, perhaps praying to the idol it displayed. A seated figure, it's legs crossed, with one hand raised as the other rested in it's lap. Once, it may have been draped in actual cloth, but now, only rotted, mildewed scraps clung to the cracked stone. It looked normal, just a stone idol that had probably been in someone's home, or perhaps a temple... and that just made it even worse. That this _thing_ that had probably been looked to as a type of protection was all that remained in this wasteland was disgusting. Leo tugged on Xander's cape, bringing him lower.

 

“This is the same statue Father has in the throne room.” The older prince shook his head slightly.

“That means nothing--”

“You _saw_ him praying to it.”

“This is Anankos.” Azura explained. “At least, how we used to see him. He was once our benevolent protector. He gave us his blessings without asking anything in return... until one day, he didn't.” She turned to look at Xander. “He is not working with your father out of the goodness of his heart, Prince Xander. There _is_ no goodness in that monster anymore. Whatever tithe he asks in exchange for his aid will be too great for Garon to pay.”

 

“That isn't true!” Everyone's eyes turned towards the trio that had accompanied them, or at least, the blonde one. His companions were both cringing, silently willing him not to speak, but he paid them little mind. “How can you call the being that blessed your people with bountiful, peaceful lives a monster?” Azura's eyes narrowed as she approached the mage.

“Easily. That _monster_ murdered my father. He chased my mother and I from our home and did _this_ to it. I'm not going to stand here and let some nobody who knows nothing play devil's advocate for that _thing..._!!” Hinoka reached out to her, pulling her away from the man before she could get any closer- it looked like she was seconds away from pouncing on him. Leo watched the exchange with a frown of his own.

“...I think it's time you told us everything you know, Odin. You and your friends.” The one with gray hair sighed deeply, his boyish face looking very old for a second.

“Let's find somewhere a bit less open first, milord. This isn't the kind of place one should stand around telling stories in.”

 

The mountains were not a part of this stretch of land, but did connect, at least in part, to another island below it. Camilla found a Dragon Vein near the edge of the plain which tore large chunks of said mountain away to form another bridge. She and Hinoka were lucky- they could just fly between the islands. The horses would not go near the edge and needed to be blindfolded to cross. Nerr pitied them; this nightmare land was not meant for timid animals that spooked easily. At the very least there was an abundance of grass and small lakes. The thought that said grass had probably been a mother and her child turned her stomach, but the destriers didn't seem to mind. The cave was not as large as the one they'd gone through last time- while there were many branching paths, they were too narrow, too filled with sharp stones jutting from the floor and ceiling to even consider venturing further in. It was a tight squeeze in the mouth for them all, but they had few options.

 

“What about the animals?” Elise asked, peeking out to keep an eye on her grazing rouncy. “Won't those water monsters hurt them?”

“No.” Azura reassured her. “I used to see birds here, and a long time ago, there were even deer, and the Vallites never went after them. If they hurt your mounts, it's only because they're in the way.” She let her head fall. “...I don't think Anankos' hatred extends to anything but humans.”

“What say you, Odin?” Leo asked coldly. “You seem to have a favorable view on this being. Is he a bleeding heart for animals?”

“N-no... That's not...” The blonde man ran his fingers through his short cropped hair, looking to his compatriots. “You guys wanna step in and say something?”

 

“No.” Severa snapped churlishly, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to make herself appear as small as possible. The other man, Lazwald? reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“We don't know everything about Anankos. Only what we were told. We aren't from here, but were brought here.”

“By whom? And to what end?” Xander asked sternly. His retainer shook his head sadly.

“That I'm afraid I cannot tell you, milord. Only that we were told five divine weapons would be needed to have any hope of stopping him, Anankos.”

 

“ _All_ of you were told this?” Azura questioned, her normally even tone rising in anger. “And it never occurred to you to tell your lords, who _carry_ divine weapons, _any_ of this?! It never crossed your empty, infantile brains to even attempt to convey this information to them!? What have you been doing all this time!?”

“We were serving our lieges!” Odin protested, but his loyal response earned little favor with the liege in question.

“But that wasn't your duty. You didn't come to Nohr to serve us; you came there because you needed our help to stop a god from ruining us, and rather than inform us of this, you spent five years doing fuck all while we inched closer to our demise. How disgraceful...”

“That is enough, Leo.” Camilla whispered, her brother rounding on her.

 

“No, it isn't, sister! How are you not bothered by this? Your retainer has known for gods know how long that _this_ could be the ultimate fate of Nohr, and chose to say _nothing!_ ”

“We didn't _choose_ to say nothing!” The princess' retainer spoke up in her own defense. “We _couldn't!_ We'd die if we said anything about Valla!”

“So would Azura and Nerrida.” Takumi muttered bitterly. “They've been saying that from the start, that they couldn't talk about everything, but they still _tried_. No one believed them; they risked their lives to warn us about this. And what did _you_ do? Why are you even here? You're worthless...” He trailed off, drawing his knees to his chest and lowering his head.

 

“We know where Anankos is.” Lazwald stated plainly. At once, everyone's attention was rapt on him.

“What?”

“How?”

“Where is he?”

“We don't know the _exact_ location,” Selena muttered. “We were told he's in the capital. There's a castle there--”

 

“I know where that is.” Azura gasped slightly, getting up and standing in the entrance of the cave. “It's to the east... somewhere.”

“ 'Somewhere'? Are you sure you know where it is, Azura?” Hinoka posited, her doubt justified if only by the uncertainty in the singer's own voice.

“Yes. ...mostly. I hadn't been in the capital since I was a baby, but... I remember a forest. There was a forest, and my mother always told me to never venture beyond it because 'that's where the darkness is'. She had to have been talking about Anankos.”

 

“ 'East' is as good a clue to follow as any now. Though I have no idea how we can go about finding directions in this place when I'm not entirely certain we're even right side up.” Xander stifled a yawn. “In any case, we can see about it at a later hour. We've fought two pitched battles in as many days, and I would rather not deal with any more of those foul creatures with anything less than a sharp mind.” Ryouma nodded.

“Agreed. While we may be relatively sheltered in here, it would still be best if we took watch in shifts.”

“Then I'll take the first shift.” Gunther had already begun climbing to his feet before the Hoshidan man had even finished speaking. Nerr reached out, trying to pull him back down.

 

“What? No. Gunther, you need to rest.”

“I'm _fine_.” His tone was as clipped as his movement, removing her hand from the hem of his arming coat. “There's no damn rest to be had in this place anyway...” She let her hand fall back to her lap, tears welling in her eyes, tears she refused to let fall. He was right. How could she expect him to sleep now, knowing that even as tired as she was, sleep wouldn't come easily to her either?

 

The only saving grace of the hell-kingdom that was Valla was that it was not nearly as cold as Nohr. It wasn't quite as mild as Hoshido, especially in a damp, dark cave, but when the only other option was making camp outside and potentially being trampled by water demons, a person easily put aside slight discomforts. At least they had blankets that helped ward off what chill there was. Nerr simply wrapped herself in her cape as she leaned against the cave wall, her armor protecting her from the rocks jutting into her back. She should have been trying to sleep. She _had,_ for a while. She'd laid down like the others and closed her eyes, but all she could see then were flames and eyes and blackened meat sloughing off bones, and the nausea forced her to open them once more. Anything she tried to do to soothe her mind back to sleep inevitably led back to Jakob. He sat with her on nights like this when she couldn't sleep, bringing her a cup of tea and talking with her. Usually of nothing at all, banal topics that helped clear her overtaxed mind and relax her, or at least keep her from thinking on her nightmares until it was time to train.

 

Gods, she used him so... She had always taken for granted that he would always be there beside her. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rested her chin on them, letting the tears drip silently, soaking into the dirty fabric there. There wasn't much to look at, aside from the sleeping bodies all crowded together. Takumi and Shura lay as far apart from the others as possible. The Hoshidan princesses were closer together, while Elise and Camilla shared the same blanket, Leo laying with his back pressed against his elder sister's back. From the corner of her eye, she watched Gunther. He hadn't moved once since he'd moved to the cave's entrance, his silhouette harshly imposed on the almost idyllic landscape that lay outside. A small part of her wondered if he was like her, his mind wandering miserably, tears dripping from his chin. An even smaller part of her wanted to approach him, to wrap her arms around him from behind and just stay like that a while, but she quickly shut that part of herself down. He didn't want to be bothered now. Not by her.

 

' _Just let him mourn in peace, you stupid bitch. Not everything is always about_ _ **you**_ _..._ ' She spat at herself. How disgusting that she actually had to _remind_ herself of that. But she was right, at least, that cold harsh part of her was. She needed to push aside her own feelings for once. She needed to be brave and strong on her own for the first damn time in her wretched life and stop looking to Gunther for that kind of comfort... The thought had barely formed in her mind before she reached up, running her fingers over the broken edge of her hairpin. _Jakob would kill me in my sleep if he knew about this, but..._ She shut her eyes tightly, the moisture squeezing out of them clinging to her lashes. Gods, she didn't want to be strong. She just wanted to go home...

000

 

She wasn't aware of how long she'd been asleep, or even having fallen asleep in the first place, though she must have as she definitely woke, feeling weak and sore and terribly groggy. She was still sitting up, or at least leaning at an angle against something. The purple plates were as cold and hard as the stone behind her, but even as their edges dug into her arm and cheek, it was far more comfortable to her. She needed to get up, she told herself. Even though there _were_ still others laying down, notably the male side of the Hoshidan royal family, Nerr knew she needed to do things. Be productive, figure out which way led to the castle, see if all these divine weapons could unlock the seal of flames... Even as she listed off the things that she needed to do, her eyes began closing of their own accord, and she found herself leaning heavier against Gunther's side. She was garbage, but she was tired garbage. She just needed a few more minutes of... well, it was as close to peace as she would probably ever feel again.

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A/N- Well, that was a chapter.

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“ _What they don't know is your real advantage; when you live for someone, you're prepared to die.”_


	17. The Long First Chapter

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Ch.17- “The Long First Step”

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Somewhat rested, Valla looked more like a twisted mockery of the world than it did when she was addlepated by exhaustion. At least then, her mind sort of... categorized what she was seeing as just another dream-like amalgamation of things she had seen before. It was a nightmare like any other, and while it still made her skin crawl, there was an almost subconscious assurance that it wasn't _really_ threatening, just as the things in her nightmares never hurt her. That wasn't the case when she was fully awake. Stepping out into the misty light of day, Nerr winced, shielding her eyes. The others were already preparing to set out, adjusting the tack on their mounts, cleaning their weapons... perhaps they thought they were being kind, allowing her a few more precious moments of sleep. Indeed, in any other circumstance, she would have appreciated such a gesture more, but now, it only made her feel worthless. Swallowing, she opened her mouth, only to have no words come out. She tried again, her voice pitifully weak, but at least able to speak this time.

 

“We should find higher ground and see if there are any landmarks Azura might recognize in the east--”

“Already did that.” Hinoka proclaimed, a touch of pride in her voice. “While you were still asleep, I took her flying on Kinka.”

“...oh.” That was... good. They certainly weren't wasting time. “And?” Azura sighed, shaking her head slightly.

“There is no east here.”

“Say what, now?” The blunette spread her arms wide, scowling at the landscape.

 

“Hardly anything is rooted to the actual earth anymore. Everything is always moving- always! What was east ten years ago could have shifted south by now. I saw a wood that _looked_ familiar, but I wouldn't know unless I actually walked _through_ it, and gods forbid if I'm wrong...” She wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. Inhaling deeply, Nerr placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, trying to look more confident than she felt.

“If you're wrong, then we just look somewhere else. It's not the end of the world.” Wide golden eyes stared at her.

“But what if it is...? What if we waste time and Anankos realizes we're here and kills us before we even notice him?” The other princess scoffed, waving her hand flippantly.

 

“What if the sky turns to fire and your nose falls off? Remember when we went to Shirasagi to find Ryouma and he wasn't there? Did we just throw up our hands and say 'welp, better lay down and die'?”

“No...”

“So why would we do that now? Azura.” She placed both hands atop the singer's shoulder, leaning close to her. “We are going to find Anankos. And we are going to kill him. That is all. I refuse- flat out _refuse_ \- to accept any other outcome. If he kills me, I will claw my way out of the fires of Hell to drag him down there with me.” She patted Azura's cheek. “So don't worry about getting lost. Just lead the way.” For a long moment, she remained silent, before a small smile tugged at her lips.

 

“That actually makes me feel a little better. Thank you.” She turned to the others, standing a bit straighter. “We aren't heading east, but south. If this _is_ the forest I remember and _it_ shifted, there's a chance the capital might have drifted as well.”

“Then lead on, sister.” Ryouma's lips were quirked into an almost smile as well, a reassuring expression. Nerr did not fall in step behind the singer despite wanting to. Her feet wouldn't listen to her brain. It was so easy to be motivated for a few moments when everyone was watching, but the second they looked away, she felt all the strength, all the will power seep from her very being. Even though she had just woken up, she wanted nothing more than to just collapse and go right back to sleep. _'Gods, I hate myself..._ ' She seethed as muscular arms wrapped around her shoulders.

 

“You're a fine commander, my lady. You tell the people what they need to hear.” She frowned, turning around in Gunther's grasp.

“It's not what they need to hear; it's what I want to do. That was Anankos. I _know_ it was, I _heard_ him. He took Jakob from me. And I'm going to take everything from him. ...I'm surprised _you_ aren't swearing vengeance.” The older man frowned, looking up at the rippling gray sky.

“I've grown tired of swearing vengeance over the decades, Nerr. Now... I just let it smolder inside me. I'll have it one day.” He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “We both will.” His words were meant to be comforting, but they weren't the kind of reassurance she was craving. “You'll have revenge, and it'll be sweet” was fine, but she desperately wanted to hear something more along the lines of “Everything will be fine”. But perhaps that was asking for too much now. Sighing deeply, she set off after the others, her pace not nearly as urgent as it should have been.

 

Despite the floating lands around them appearing small, it soon became clear that they were, in fact, mostly massive. The one they were currently traversing must have been at least a quarter of the size of Windmire, at least, according to Leo (and really, who would doubt him).

 

“Just how large is this Valla?” Camilla called down to them.

“I don't know exactly. There are no maps outside the borders, and the ones in the castle are probably long gone. If I had to guess, I'd say probably a little bigger than Hoshido? Definitely not as large as Nohr.”

“Then it could take us weeks to get to the capital.” Takumi groused. “Even months. And that's just _finding_ this Anankos; we'd need an army to take him down, and it would take months to get them from our kingdoms to this one. We're all probably going to die down here!”

 

“That isn't going to happen, Takumi.” Ryouma assured him. “You crossed Hoshido and a good portion of Nohr and lived to tell the tale; why assume this would be any different?”

“Y-yeah.” Sakura nodded meekly. “And-- and this time, we're all together. I-I don't care where I am, as l-long as I know you're all okay...” Takumi didn't seem moved by his sister's sentiments, but he didn't say anything else. A scoff drew his attention, however.

“Yeah, isn't this a lovely picture? The Hoshidan royal family, together and whole again. It's heartwarming, I could puke.” The samurai stopped walking, turning to scowl at the older man.

 

“Who are you, exactly?”

“You wouldn't know me. I'm of the Ashyura clan. I can't imagine daddy dearest waxing poetic about us.” Ryouma's brows furrowed in confusion.

“No, he wouldn't. There are many clans in Hoshido--”

“Yeah. And how many of them were wiped out while our glorious leader willfully looked away?”

“That's enough.” Nerr forced herself to step forward, between the two men. The belligerent tension between them was growing to unbearable levels, and the last thing she wanted to deal with now was Shura breaking someone else's nose. “Don't blame Ryouma for his father's negligence, Shura. And you, Ryouma... learn some damn history! It's disgraceful that _I_ know more about Kouga than _you_.”

 

“Kouga? I haven't heard that name in years...”

“Yeah, I'll fucking bet!”

“Hey! Didn't I just tell you both to stop? Don't make me stop you.” Xander clucked his tongue slightly as he rode past.

“Perhaps you should spend less time radicalizing Nohrians and pay more attention to your _own_ people, Lord Ryouma.”

“Perhaps _you_ should be quiet on such matters, _milord_ ; you aren't any better than him.” Gunther snarked. The blonde man whirled around, his eyes flashing.

 

“ _What?_ You would dare speak to me in such a way?”

“Yes, in fact. I _do_ dare.” What had begun as a low simmer had, in an instant, erupted into a harsh boil. Nerr could barely make out anything that was being said, only the hate and anger it was spoken with. She could feel the loathing radiating off them, seeping into her pores, making her sick. Clutching her head, the tips of her horns stabbed into her palms.

“Stop it. Stop it, _STOP IT!_ All of you, shut the fuck up before I rip your tongues out and _eat them!_ ” The princes rounded on her.

 

“You do _not_ speak to me that way, sister.”

“How _dare_ you show me such disrespect, Nerr?”

“I will slap the taste out of your mouth, Xander. How's _that_ for disrespect?”

“Stop it!” A higher, though much louder voice, cut through their anger as Elise rode up, her cherubic face contorted in distress. “Why are you all fighting? We're supposed to be working together!” Nerr gaped at her, stumbling back as the pain in her temples stabbed into her brain.

 

“I-- I don't know.”

“Neither do I.” Xander reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don't know what came over me. That was... a shameful display on my part.”

“It's Anankos.” Azura said, her quiet voice leaving them all hanging on her every word. “This is what I was talking about yesterday. He corrupts everything. The longer you stay around him, the more of yourself you lose.”

“But... we _aren't_ around him... r-right, nee-sama?” Sakura asked fearfully.

 

“No, I don't think he's anywhere near us. But all of Valla is his domicile.” She shuddered a bit. “I've never actually stayed here for more than a few hours at a time. It'll probably start affecting _all_ of us eventually, so maybe we can _try_ not to act like assholes, _Nerr_.”

“Oh, shut your fucking face, Azura; I am _so_ pleasant--”

“You see?” The singer didn't even seem fazed. “ _That's_ Anankos. That little spark is going to set off an explosion if you let it. So don't. Just... calm the hell down. All of you.” Shura crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“That's easier said than done when you're surrounded by ignorant assholes.”

“In case you've forgotten, nobody asked your ass to come-- _Oh my gods, make it stop!_ ” Nerr struck her forehead, the hinge of her gauntlet slicing into the flesh there. It hurt, exacerbating her headache, but it was a small price to pay to make that hateful voice in her head that spurred her to keep talking finally shut up. She reared back, fully intending for a harder blow, only to have Gunther pull her hands away from herself.

“Nerr, stop that! You aren't going to accomplish anything by braining yourself!”

“I hate this! Make it stop!” A cloud of dust left her coughing as Camilla landed close by, hopping off her wyvern and dashing over to her sister. She pulled her away from the older knight, pulling her into a tight hug, rocking her slightly.

 

“Shhh... there there, sweetling. Everything's alright, mommy's here...” As much as she wanted to pull away, the familiar motion and warmth immediately calmed her down. The older princess made an irritated groan under her breath. “No, I don't like this at all. Nerr shouldn't be in this horrid place. She's too fragile. She shouldn't have even left the Citadel...”

“She _has_ to be here, Princess Camilla.” Azura stated plainly. “She wields the Yatogami. Without it, we'll have no hope of defeating Anankos.”

“I'm fine, sister. Really. I'm just... tired. That's all.” It wasn't entirely a lie, and that seemed to help seal it.

“....hmph. Then you can ride with me and take a nap instead of walking like a peasant.”

 

“Camilla, that's not--”

“I _wasn't_ asking.” The older woman hissed, her sister cowering slightly. Gods above, either Camilla was in a particularly domineering mood, or Anankos' influence was beginning to affect her too. Arguing would only spark frustrations anew, so Nerr let her sister drag her to Theodorus, sitting in the front of the saddle. It was nothing like riding a horse. The wyvern's wings were right in front of her knees, the membrane stretched between them brushing against her with every flap, giving her the terrifying image of them catching on her armor and sending them all careening into the ground. Perhaps that was why she jumped as Camilla wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her back.

“Calm down, dearest. You just relax and I'll wake you up when we make camp.”

“I appreciate the offer, Camilla, but even if that wasn't horribly irresponsible of me, I wouldn't be able to sleep with all this rocking.”

“Then just close your eyes. When we land, I'll make you a cup of tea; that always settles you down.” Nerr felt her stomach plummet, probably landing on the ground somewhere below them. Yes, tea did relax her... Jakob's tea. Even when Flora brewed the same blends, it didn't have the same reposeful effect. She wanted to tell her sister 'No, thank you', but why bother? It would just sound like she was being petty. Maybe she was. Tea was tea, and she was stupid for thinking otherwise.

000

 

If it had been hard to tell the passage of time in Hoshido, it was damn near impossible in Valla. Despite their lack of a true “night”, it got darker in the east. Here, below the continent, the sky never seemed to change color. Occasionally, the clouds would open up, revealing a patch of blue in some different shade, but they didn't look like _sky_. It was like the sky reflecting in the surface of a lake, made more apparent by the way it rippled. Nerr was grateful she wasn't the only one who was unnerved by it.

 

“That is never going to stop freaking me out...” Lazwald said as he dumped a handful of sticks at their makeshift camp one... night. Azura said it was night, so they were inclined to believe her, even though the fog looked the same as ever.

“How many times have you seen it before?” Nerr asked him. He gave her a wry, half grin.

“Not counting _this_ visit? Once.” Odin paused in his crafting of a camp fire, laughing humorlessly.

“It's funny, isn't it? They sky is always the first thing to go. I guess dragons really hate bright, sunny days.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Azura asked, coming closer. The men seemed to panic.

“Uhh... nothing. Just... ancient tales of woe and destruction... that I read! I read about them.” The singer's eyes narrowed.

“Uh.... huh. Nerr, can I speak with you for a moment.”

“Uh, sure?” She followed the singer away from camp. They were nearing the edge of this landmass finally, and in the distance, she could see another. It looked like a rock with moss growing on top from so far away, but there was no doubt those were trees. “So that's where we're going?”

 

“Yes. We need to search for a Dragon Vein to try and bridge the gap, but there may not be one here. My mother said most of them had already been used up by the time she inherited the throne. If there isn't one on this side, I might need to go with Hinoka and Camilla over there and search for one.” It was... impressive to see Azura taking charge. She seemed so unassuming, as though she wouldn't have any idea of how to handle herself, but now _she_ was the one who knew exactly what to do... And Nerr felt more useless by the day. She huffed slightly through her nose, her lips quirked upwards though she felt nothing even approaching humor.

“I think the gods made a mistake.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I mean it's starting to seem like _you_ should be the one wielding the Yato. You'd probably already unlock the Seal and having it ready to go.”

 

“That's not true.”

“It is, though. Back in Nohr and Hoshido, I could at least _pretend_ I knew what to do and play at giving orders, but here? I can't even make sure all _my_ soldiers are accounted for before I make a leap. You're the one leading us. You're a leader... and I'm a worthless.”

“Nerr...” The pity in those golden eyes made her want to vomit. She forced herself to smile, laughing weakly.

“Gods, listen to me. It sounds like I'm complaining that you're being useful. Just ignore me; I'm sulking like a jealous child. This is probably Anankos' doing.” Yes. That was why she felt so terrible, so pathetic and burdensome and _'Gods, you should just throw yourself off this island...'_ A thin, white hand lay across her wrist, contrasting sharply against her black armor.

 

“Are you okay, Nerr? It seems cruel that we have to keep pushing forward so quickly after Jakob's death--”

“It's fine. This always happens. I was kidnapped by Rinkah hours after I thought Gunther had died, a war began brewing the moment my mother died; honestly, I should be used to it by this point. The world doesn't stop just because someone dies. It didn't stop for Jakob, and it's not going to stop for me.” Everything she was saying was the absolute truth and it made perfect sense, so it was annoying that she had to force herself to say it with a straight face. Every word made her stomach hurt, but she just pushed that pain down with all the others. Azura wasn't convinced.

“That's true. The world stops for no one... but just because we have to keep going doesn't mean you can't be sad, Nerr. No one would fault you for being upset.”

 

“I _was_ upset. I cried- a lot- and now I don't. I don't need everyone staring at me while I make a scene.”

“...maybe you should talk about it.” Nerr sighed. This conversation was making her more tired than all the marching.

“I don't want to talk about this anymore to you.”

“Not to me. To Sir Gunther.” It felt as though the other princess had punched her in the gut.

“He doesn't want to talk about it either. Not that I blame him. …he may as well have lost a son. What do I know how that feels? What can I do except cry and feel bad for him?” She couldn't comfort him, and her attempts to in the past always seemed to just annoy him, so the best thing for her to do was just stay quiet and keep her thoughts to herself. Azura clearly didn't agree with her, but remained thankfully silent.

 

As they sat around the fire that night, what little conversation there was inevitably ended up being hijacked by talk of the wicked god looming over them.

 

“Even if he _is_ in the capital, wherever that is, there's no telling when he could strike. If he knows we're here- which he probably does- what's stopping him from just _leaving_ said capital and coming after us?” Everyone fell silent as Ryouma spoke, an air of dread chilling them despite the merrily crackling flames. Xander's already harsh countenance further darkened at the other man's words.

“Right though you may be, Lord Ryouma, simply terrifying everyone won't do us any good. If you have any sort of idea for how to combat such an event, by all means, feel free to share it.” The brunette prince unsheathed his sword in response, prompting no less than three of them to instinctively reach for their own weapons. He did not brandish it, however, instead laying it down on the ground. Tiny little arcs of lightning jumped across it's edge.

“Your retainers mentioned five divine weapons being needed to stop him.” The royals exchanged a look, and with more than a little grumbling, they produced their weapons, laying them out. Nerr frowned as she looked around.

 

“...somehow, this seems like more than five.” Including her Yato, there were seven.

“Well, how do we know which five it is?” Leo asked, his brows furrowed. Hinoka leaned back on her elbows.

“Does it matter? They asked for five, we have seven. Maybe five is the bare minimum needed to stop a god. Since when did anyone regret having _too many_ weapons?”

“Hinoka has a point, but the Rainbow Sage said that five would be the key to unlocking the Seal of Flames.”

“Then we try every combination, but the question is, how is it supposed to unlock in the first place?”

“Ooh! Ooh!” Leo's retainer, who had been laying on his back, bolted upright, a wide grin splitting his face. “Perhaps you must travel to a holy shrine and offer the chosen weapons unto the gods who will test you with holy flames and, should your heart be pure, you will be granted divine strength!” The others stared at him for a long, tense moment. Leo was the one who broke the silence.

 

“...where do you get this from, Odin? I always thought you were pulling it out of your ass, but I'm starting to get the feeling that you actually know what you're talking about.”

“It's... nothing.” Selena muttered. “Just a stupid legend about the holy sword from our kingdom.”

“Ooh! What kingdom are _yo_ _u_ from??” Elise leaned forward, her eyes wide in anticipation. Lazwald shook his head.

“Nowhere special. Just a tiny speck in Archanea.” Ryouma's eyes narrowed.

“Archanea? Across the dark sea? That's a five month's journey, at least. You traveled all that way to warn the Nohrian royal family about our land's impending doom and didn't even feel it worth your time to actually _do_ that...?!”

“It's complicated, okay!?” The red-haired girl snapped.

 

“I don't think it's as complicated as you're making it out to be.” Takumi growled. “You're obviously lying, the only questions are 'about what?' and 'why?'. It's taken you, what? Five years to divulge even the most basic information, and you only did it because we already knew everything. You probably know _exactly_ how to unlock the Seal of Flames, but you're not going to say anything until we're all dead!”

“Takumi, that's enough.” The young prince turned to Nerr, his eyes flashing furiously.

“No! It's not! They couldn't be more suspicious if they tried! I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually working _for_ Anankos and were just leading us into a trap!”

“Well, if that's the case, they're doing a pretty shit job of it.” Takumi clearly didn't appreciate her attempt at humor.

 

“How can you trust them?!”

“I _don't_ trust them.”

“But you brought them along!”

“I brought horses along. I brought _you_ along, too; what's your point?” His eyes widened; for a moment, he looked upset. That she had compared him to a horse? “They knew _something_ I didn't. They were useful. Trust has nothing to do with that.” There was another long, drawn out silence, filled only with the crackling of dried wood. Selena's irritable tone broke it.

 

“Why wouldn't you trust us? We've been helping you!”

“No, you're _claiming_ to be helping. Iago claimed that too, right before he sent me into a trap. If you were in _my_ service, I'd hang you all by your thumbs until you confessed to everything you know, but clearly my siblings don't mind being lied to. They see something of value in you that, quite frankly, I don't.” She surprised herself with her candidness, but she stood by her words. They clearly had no sense of loyalty to the mission that brought them to her family in the first place, so who would be foolish enough to believe they would show more loyalty to those they served at the moment?

000

 

Just as Azura feared, there were no Dragon Veins on the island they stood on. She and the older princesses had spent almost twenty minutes in the forest before the earth beneath it began shifting, being pulled as though by a magnet from the the underside to the edge, packing together to form a bridge. A bridge that, unfortunately, still left a gap of about twenty or so feet to span. Shura edged closer to the precipice, glancing down into the foggy nothingness.

 

“So... I guess we jump?”

“To hell with that!” Takumi took several steps backwards even though he wasn't anywhere near the edge. “Anankos is just going to have to come to _me_.” Sakura whimpered, hiding behind her hands.

“I-I don't think I can jump that f-far...”

“Oh, come on! It'll be easy!” Elise, grinned as she rode forward, the smile slipping off her face as she paled. “R-right, Leo? Y-you go first.”

 

The second prince groaned loudly, rolling his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out of his skull. He did not charge ahead at a full gallop (like Nerr was half expecting), instead flipping open his tome, his eyes falling shut. It's pages glowed a faint violet as he channeled his immense magic through them, the ground beneath their feet trembling, clumps of earth rising around his steed's hooves. Soil rose from seemingly thin air, though it was obviously coming from the underside of the island they resided on. Held together with thick roots, it stretched further and further, eventually meeting with the other end, completing the bridge. Leo opened his eyes, his haughty expression not enough to hide the bags that had begun forming beneath them.

 

“As usual, _I'm_ the only competent person around. _You're welcome_.” Elise giggled.

“You're the best, Leo!” Sakura smiled, bowing slightly.

“Th-thank you, Leo-sama. I... really couldn't j-jump that far...” Takumi scowled at the bridge, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Is that cheap spell actually going to hold any weight?”

“Maybe not the weight of your overly inflated head.” The blonde prince sniped. “But a normal person, yes. I had to do _something_ , as I have no doubt a certain sister of mine would actually convince herself she could jump that gap.”

 

“Was that a challenge?” Nerr asked dryly, quickly met with several unanimous cries of “No!”. What did they know? She could make that jump, and even if she couldn't, what would happen aside from landing back at the Chasm? Still, she wasn't in the mood for another trip to Valla to run the risk of another attack. The loamy soil sank under her feet, but it was freshly tilled- that was to be expected. It held her weight with ease, though the many roots often caught her toes. One particularly large one caught her foot as she tried to take another step, and for a terrifying moment, she found herself falling at an angle. Despite reminding herself only minutes ago that such a fall wouldn't be fatal, the only thing that raced through her mind was how much it was going to hurt when she hit the bottom and exploded. She never even hit the dirt, someone grabbing her cape and pulling her back upright. She was positively lightheaded as she glanced behind her to see Shura's exasperated scowl.

 

“Gods damn, princess; how have you not drowned in a bowl of soup by now?”

“I have no idea...” She whispered hoarsely, clutching weakly to his sleeve to keep her balance. Armor clattered lightly as a heavy gauntlet pulled the pirate back. Both men scowled at one another, but Gunther only paid the other a moment's notice, offering his arm to Nerr.

“The ground is uneven, my lady. It wouldn't do to have you back at the Chasm so unexpectedly.” Swallowing hard, she gripped his vambrace, the steel cold through her gloves, keeping her eyes planted firmly to the ground as they continued their way to the other island. Long minutes of walking in relative silence that left her stomach roiling miserably were finally rewarded with hard packed ground under her feet once more. The princess dropped to her knees, doubling over to rest her head on the wild grass. She didn't care how long ago it had been people.

 

“Oh... never again. Never again will I leave you.” Barding clanked as Leo rode up beside her, dirt from his steed's shoes flecking onto her cape.

“Since when are you afraid of heights, sister? Surely this isn't the same girl who climbs atop the Citadel's battlements?” Scaling to the top of the Citadel, sparing with her brother atop it's gently sloping roofs... all of that seemed like a lifetime ago, before she had seen too many horrors falling from high places. Her gauntlets curled into the dirt.

“No. It's not the same girl, brother.” Inhaling deeply, she pushed herself to her feet, her first steps a tad unsteady as she approached Azura. The singer's head was craned back to take in the canopy of the forest laid out before them. It reminded Nerr of Mokushuu, the ancient trees that must have been hundreds of feet tall. Azura parted her lips, but it was a while before she spoke.

 

“...my mother brought me here. After we had fled, when we would visit, we came here. She said it was safe, that Anankos did not dare approach the forests.” Dread chilled the Nohrian princess' blood.

“Why not?” What horrors lay within that darkness that even a god wouldn't risk angering them? Azura's thoughts didn't seem to turn as grim as Nerr's.

“He doesn't want to bring the wrath of the forest spirits onto him. That's what she said, at least.” Dark shadows passed over them, both women's hair buffeted as winged beasts soared just above their heads to land a few feet away. Hinoka's landing was smoother, and she dismounted first, approaching her sisters with a slight frown.

“We tried to see if there was anything lurking in those woods, but it's no good. It's just a solid mass of green from above.”

“Did you see anything?” Ryouma asked, approaching them as well. By that time, Camilla had gotten to her feet as well, rolling her shoulders.

 

“There are some ruins on the far side of the forest.”

“Then we'll have to get there before we can regain our bearings.”

“Oho, don't make plans yet, Lord Ryouma. You don't know just what an undertaking traversing this forest will be.” The red-haired princess exhaled sharply through her nose, looking into the dark maze.

“It's huge. Twice as big as the island we just left. It would take us at least two or three days to cross if we were just walking on a clear plain. Navigating _that_ would be at least four days, brother.”

 

“Then we have little time to loose.” Nerr turned her attention away from her elder siblings, whistling sharply to draw the attention of those still resting near the edge. “We haven't earned a break yet. We can walk a few more hours at least, then we'll make camp.” Both Elise and Selena groaned, but even they joined the others in heading into the depths of the woods.

 

There was precious little natural light in the forest, and that which there was had a murky, green tint to it. Odin had cast a spell, with a great deal of relish and unnecessary hand movements, providing them with a ring of fire balls that gleamed with the tell-tale violet light of magic. The will-o-wisps circled them lazily but incessantly, the swirling light making Nerr dizzy and nauseous. Or maybe it was the woods them self. Despite Valla being far more mild than Nohr, without a flake of snow in sight, the air was unnaturally chilled as they traveled, growing colder and colder the further into the forest they went. But... maybe that was just her. After all, no one else drew their cloaks around their shoulders as tightly as she did. While they stopped to rest one day, she started as a purple cloak was draped over her shoulders. The sight of Kaze standing beside her did little to still her thundering heart.

 

“You seem cold, milady.”

“It's probably just my nerves.” She tried to sound lighthearted, but the quiver in her voice belied that. The ninja nodded, though his face remained as stoic as it had ever been.

“I cannot fault you for that. These woods are uncannily reminiscent of Mokushuu...” A dark shadow seemed to cast over him. Nerr swallowed hard, but it still took a moment before she could form the words she should have said a while back.

“I'm sorry about your brother, Kaze. There's little crueler than the young cut down in their prime.” The green-haired man remained silent for a long time, the only sounds passing between them that of their breath and the others speaking quietly amongst themselves. When he finally spoke, it wasn't the words she had been expecting.

 

“You were at the forefront when the fighting began. Is it true, Nerr-sama? Was it Kotaro that struck him down?” She inhaled deeply, feeling as though iron bars across her chest kept her lungs from fully expanding.

“Yes. He ambushed him from behind. I'm certain he would not have gotten a hit in had it been a straight fight--”

“He would have.” Kaze said plainly. “I saw him toy with Saizou in Mokushuu, and it was surely the same way he toyed with our father before he murdered _him_. Had I been there, he would have killed me just as easily, and in a matter of moments, the Saizou clan would have gone the way of the Ashyuras. ...they never thought to tell us about _that.”_ Despite his bitter, mournful words, his voice remained even and calm. “Our teachers told us from infancy that we could- and would- die in service to our liege, and that it would bring honor to our families... but they never bothered telling us how easily that honor could be for naught. Entire bloodlines, wiped out like _that_.” He snapped sharply, the sound carrying much too far. Turning around to face him fully, Nerr laid her hand atop the Hoshidan man's shoulder.

 

“But it's not wiped out. Not yet. You're still alive, and Shura's still alive- all you have to do is have children, and your family tree grows ever strong. And after we destroy Anankos, that's all you'll have to worry about. Little Kazes darting around your legs...” She smiled at him, and while it was clear he attempted to return it, he couldn't quite pull the corners of his lips up.

“Saizous, milady.”

“What?”

“When shinobi become the heads of their clans, they take on the name of their clan. My father was Saizou the fourth, and when he died, my brother, by being born first, became Saizou the fifth. ...and now, I am Saizou the sixth.” He didn't seem at all proud of that fact. Misery oozed from his every pore. Nerr tightened her grip on his shoulder.

“There will be time for clans and bloodlines later. I don't think any of us could remember to call you 'Saizou' with all this insanity going on. Let your brother keep his name for now.” Kaze (for how much longer) closed his eyes, nodding.

“Yes. Yes, there is no need to rush with that, not now. Thank you, Nerr-sama.”

 

He excused himself, bowing but leaving his mantle wrapped around her shoulders. While she had been distracted with someone else's unhappiness, the cold had escaped her mind, but now that she was alone, she found herself shivering again. Jakob had told her something similar back in Cyrkensia. That he had been his parents' only child, and that they didn't care if their bloodline died out. Tears bit her eyes. She had no love for the noble houses of Nohr, but gods above it hurt her heart to think that in a few years time, there could be nothing left of her dear steward. Not a trace of him left in the world but her memories, memories that would surely grow dim and fade over the years. Nerr pushed herself to her feet, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She was walking before she even realized it, but that was fine. Good, even. When her feet were moving, it was harder for her thoughts to catch her. As long as she could see the others through the trees, the light cast by Odin's fire, she wouldn't get lost.

 

It seemed that in spite of it's desertion, there _was_ life to be found in Valla, if only on the most basic scale. She could barely see it in the dark, but her sharp eyes caught a glittering line winding across the dead leaves. Ants. She recognized their movements from the Citadel- following them was often the only way they could find the source of whatever new fetid stink was choking their halls. Careful to keep her feet a fair distance from them, the draconic princess followed the trail, wondering what they had found to eat. Maybe nothing bigger than a worm, but perhaps it was a squirrel or maybe even a rabbit, and if there was one, there could be more. Her mouth watered at the prospect. Nerr was so engrossed in wondering what kind of animal carcass she would come across that she almost didn't even see it. She had taken it for a log at first, the earthen brown covered with lichen looked just like wood, but as her eyes grazed it's length, a painful nausea cramped her stomach.

 

There was a foot attached to it, the worn hide that wrapped it coming loose and revealing bloody, lacerated flesh beneath. This assuredly human form wasn't liquid, either, at least not yet. It was solid and opaque, the form of a young boy, no older than ten or eleven, curled on his side, blending in with the forest so perfectly it was strange to think he wasn't a part of it. Ants swarmed over the bleeding foot, tearing even more flesh from it, but he didn't even stir. Nerr pressed her hands to her mouth to ensure she remained silent as she backed away. All hopes of being quiet went straight to hell as the figure on the ground lunged suddenly, clawing at her legs with a hoarse cry. She screamed, not cared what horrors she drew towards her as she turned and ran, slipping and stumbling over the leaves and roots. Heavy footsteps and panicked cries met her, Xander leading the others. He dismounted, grabbing Nerr to keep her from running past him.

 

“Sister! What is it, what's wrong?”

“Are we under attack?” Ryouma had already unsheathed his sword, scanning the darkness he knew his eyes couldn't penetrate.

“There's a-- there's a thing; a boy! I thought he was dead and he lunged at me!”

“What? I thought you said no one lived here.” Xander turned towards Azura, who was already panting.

“They _don't_. But people fall in all the time, just like we did. This boy, he's probably hurt, but we might be able to help him.”She pushed past the princes, not a hint of fear to be found. The sight of this waifish girl calmly marching back to where Nerr had just fled in terror made the Nohrian princess want to drive a stiletto into her temple to stop the shame. The others passed her as she dwelled on her self-loathing, until a cold, steel-clad finger lifted her chin. She immediately turned her head away.

 

“I'm a wretched coward.” She muttered. Gunther turned her back to face him, holding her in place with a tighter grip.

“The dead quite literally walk amongst us in this wretched place, Nerr. Anyone with a modicum of sense would run first and ask questions later upon finding a corpse that moved, regardless of where they are.” It was truly a testament of how horrid and twisted Valla was that his words brought her no sense of comfort or reassurance. None whatsoever.

“And I've cut down the reanimated dead before. Anyone who _isn't_ me would draw their blade and not run like a filthy coward...” She seethed, following the others. Disgusting... The Rainbow Sage's tale came back into her mind like bile rising up her throat, a warrior that could lead two nations... ha! She was a mewling quim, a disgrace to the title “princess”. The others had stopped, and she pushed through them rather roughly, her anger evaporating as she saw the empty space at the tree trunk.

 

“Well, where the fuck is he?”

“I don't know...” Azura shook her head, looking back to the other woman. “Are you _sure_ you saw someone here, Nerr?”

“Of course I did! I didn't run off like a bitch for no reason!” Even _she_ wasn't that paranoid. Kaze was kneeling on the ground, staring intently at the leaves.

“It seems that there _was_ someone here, Azura-sama. Look.” He pointed to deep gouges in the dirt. “If I had to guess, I would say that this boy dragged himself away.”

 

“Then we need to find him.” Hinoka said firmly, raising her lance. Bright coral colored flames wreathed it's cutting edge, providing more light. “He can't have gone far.” They edged closer together, Sakura and Elise in the middle of their group.

“Boy? Boy, can you hear me? Where are you?” Azura called out into the woods. A quiet groan met them, deeper in, to the east. Biting her lip, Nerr unsheathed the Yato, the feeling of the hilt under her fingers not doing much to relieve the chill in her veins, but anything was better than nothing. They followed a trail of disrupted leaves, scanning the area. Soft wailing noises seemed to come from all around them. Ryouma stuck out his hand, stopping them. Curled into the crook of another tree's massive roots was the self same boy Nerr had run from. He was not lying prone as he had before, now curled into a tighter call, rocking slightly as he covered his head with his hands. Xander stepped forward, kneeling beside the child.

 

“Can you hear me, child? It's alright; you're safe now.” He drew away as the prince tried to touch him, shaking his head frantically. The wailing moans continued from further in the trees.

“They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming.”

“Who's coming?” He gave no clarification, repeating those same two words again and again until they seemed to lose all meaning. The noises were getting louder, nearly screams at this point. Both Nerr and Azura stepped forward, the latter approaching the boy whilst the former edged closer to the next row of trees.

“Is there someone here with you? Someone else who's hurt?” The draconic princess barely heard the other woman's words over her own pulse thudding in her ears. All she could hear was the moaning as it grew louder. Louder. A figure, every so slightly darker than the shadows that shrouded it, stumbled forward. Then veered to the side. It moaned, tottering like a wounded animal. Nerr took a step back, not willing to take her eyes off it.

 

“There's definitely someone else here...” Gunther was the first at her side, stepping in front of her, shield raised, lance up.

“You there. Who are you?” The moaning stopped, and for a moment, so did the staggering gait. With unsteady, almost drunken steps, it walked forward, shuffling through the leaves. Camilla had approached as well, the air around her chilled as she raised her ax. Drawing closer, Nerr could see that it was a woman- it was hard to imagine such large breasts on a man. Her clothes might have once been fine- her pants appeared to be some manner of black brocade riddled with holes, and the heel had broken off one of her boots. It was hard to tell what she had worn over it, a blouse or a dress- only tattered rags hung over her chest, a heavy cloak draped over her shoulders. Her skin was gray, translucent. Nerr could see her teeth through her cheek where the flesh had worn thin. Gunther lowered his shield, his mouth agape. “...Queen Arete?”

 

There was barely any time to comprehend what he had said, barely any time to note the thinning lazuline hair clinging to an exposed scalp. The woman's jaw fell open, tearing what flesh remained to reveal a pale, slimy gaping hole where a throat should have been. She screeched, a deafening sound that made the very air vibrate as the pressure swelled in Nerr's ears. At once, gurgling moans and animalistic screeches filled the forest, bouncing off the trees and surrounding them. Branches snapped and leaves rustled as thundering feet splashed towards them.

 

“OuR... kInG sEnDs... HiS rEgArDs...” The low voice burbled, a distorted echo that sounded terribly familiar. Growling, Camilla lunged forward, swinging her ax at the disheveled woman's head. It passed through thin air, flesh and bones long since becoming transparent, collapsing into a puddle that quickly sank into the soil. An overpowering stench of fetid water filled the air.

“Run...” Nerr breathed, rushing towards the others and pushing them further into the woods. “Run! Run!!” Xander had lifted the boy, sitting him on Asmodeus' saddle just as a long, spindly arm reached around the tree, grabbing at his tabard. The prince drove his poleyn into the watery limb, unsheathing his dark blade just in time to cut through another.

“Where are we going!?” Takumi cried, letting loose an arrow into a group of no less than three monsters. They exploded, painting the trees they splashed upon green. “We're surrounded!”

 

“That way! That's east! We've just got to--” She broke off, swinging her sword and taking off half of a muscled brute's head. It didn't go down like she expected it to, continuing to swing it's rusted ax in her general direction. A flaming lance cut through it's midsection, steam filling the small clearing as it finally collapsed.

“Talk later! Just run!” Hinoka pushed her forward, driving the glowing metal into another shambling creature. Nerr was torn between looking behind her to make sure the others were following, and being far too concerned with what lay ahead to risk turning her head. They came from all directions, lunging at her from the darkness. She was certain she could even hear them climbing through the trees, too many of the shrieks and growls coming from above her. There wasn't time to waste swinging her sword; she rammed anything in her way aside with her pommel and elbows.

 

Thick hands gabbed her arm, pulling her off her feet. She couldn't tell what she was looking at, could only make out the vaguest shadow of where eyes and a mouth could have been as the monstrosity began pulling, trying to rip her apart. She could feel her skin stretching and cried out, a piercing scream that surely only alerted more denizens. The dark woods lit up briefly with a blinding flash that was quickly followed by a deafening rumble. A jagged bolt of light hit the monster, and at once, Nerr felt her nerve set aflame, as though a branding iron had been driven into her arm where the watery hands made contact. They ruptured, coating her with foul-smelling slime as she fell back to the ground.

 

“Get up!” Another pair of hands grabbed her, trying to force her to her feet, but she could not stand, her muscles no longer under her control. She'd dropped the Yato, but one of the red clad hands grabbed it while the other wrapped around her waist, half dragging her over the slick leaves and mud. Behind her, horses nickered fearfully as the earth trembled, nearly causing Ryouma (and thus her as well) to lose his footing. There were thunderous cracks as trees were felled, the roar of their landing making her jump each time she heard it. The gurgles and shrieks began growing quieter, but they did not stop.

 

It felt like they had been running for hours; every time Nerr was certain she would not be able to take another step, she forced herself to take two more. For the longest while, they had only been encountering creatures one or two at a time, and even _they_ seemed to be slowing. His steps had slowed to such a shambling gait it was no wonder one of Ryouma's feet caught on a raised root, dropping him to the dirt. He did not attempt to stand, hacking coughs punctuating each gasp for breath.

 

“Oh Gods... gods, _please_ tell me that's the end of them...” Nerr weakly turned around on her hands and knees, silently counting the heads of those that followed them. For one horrible moment, the absence of familiar silvery locks made her stomach clench in fear, before she remembered that absence was the norm now. Azura crawled over to her, collapsing beside her, her face ruddy, sweat pouring from her brow. She must have wanted to say something, but she was so weak and exhausted, she could barely catch her breath. Those with mounts filed in last, and it did not go unnoticed that Camilla's wyvern stumbled heavily over the ground. Such creatures were meant for sheer cliffs and open air, not to crawl on claws and wings across the grass. One of it's wings lay at an awkward angle, but it was hardly the only thing that was injured. The sharp tang of blood was beginning to grow sharper, overpowering the smell of rotting leaves. Leo slipped from his saddle, missing his footing and collapsing into a pile of plate-covered limbs. His skin was pallid beneath the flush of his cheeks, and he seemed too weak to even hold his head up.

 

“That's it,” He muttered weakly. “I'm done for. Everyone, go on without me... and carry me with you.”

“You've been a boon to us, brother.” Xander's voice seemed even enough, but he was clearly struggling to remain upright, leaning heavily on his destrier's neck. “I think they've given up chase.”

“They might have for now, but they'll probably be back soon.” Odin dropped his aggrandizing manner, clutching a stitch in his side. “They have to have someone controlling them- they did when _we_ were here. If they've stopped following us, it's only because the one controlling them doesn't know where we are.” Azura flinched, curling tighter into herself. Her voice was small, weak.

 

“We need to keep going then. They don't follow to the edge of the islands. At least, not the bigger ones.” It was the most disheartening thing they'd heard yet, having to keep marching forward as weary as they were, but despite the groans and weak sobs of protest, everyone was back on their feet, still breathing hard, but marching forward nonetheless. The only saving grace was that the trees had begun to thin out, allowing them freer movement, revealing more of the sky and letting in more natural light. Beyond their trunks, Nerr was certain she could see the horizon, but her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet groan behind her, the voice unfamiliar. Pausing, she turned, noticing the strange boy draped over Xander's saddle shifting. The crown prince halted his destrier, approaching the young passenger.

 

“Are you awake, boy? Here, let me help y-- Gods!!” The older man recoiled, disgust marring his expression. Elise rode up, frowning slightly.

“What's wrong, Xander? That wasn't very nice.” She tried to get closer, but her brother grabbed her reins, pulling her back.

“Stay back, Elise.” Without the prince's help, the boy slid off the saddle, falling to the ground with a pained groan. Nerr glanced away from him to her brother, frowning as he took yet another step back. His behavior infuriated her, but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep her anger to herself; she wasn't about to let Anankos get the better of her. Inhaling deeply, she approached the fallen boy herself, offering him her hand.

 

“Here. Let me help you up.” Still groaning, he rolled over, allowing Nerr her first good look at him, and it became obvious why Xander had reacted in such a way. When he was hidden by the gloom of the woods, turned away from her, she had assumed there were only shadows darkening his skin, maybe bruises. She was very, very wrong. The left side of his face was covered in growths, all but covering his eye, going down his neck and even over his torso if the way his tattered shirt lifted away from his chest was any indication. If it had been thickened scar tissue, or malformed lumps of flesh, she would not have been so disturbed, and neither, she assumed, would Xander. But the sight of fungi sprouting from human flesh, tendrils of lichen snaking across skin made her shudder violently. Her own skin itched terribly; she could feel the viscera of the water monsters burrowing into her pores again. “What... what happened to you? Were you attacked?” The boy looked at her, a foggy, uncomprehending look in his visible eye. She knew he spoke the common tongue; she'd heard him earlier crying out “they're coming”. Hinoka stepped forward, bending slightly so she was closer to his level.

 

“Can you understand us, kid? Are you hurt?”

“I... I d-- don't...” Even that seemed to take an exorbitant amount of concentration from the boy. The Hoshidan princess winced.

“Ugh, you're covered in monster guts. Here..” She reached out, attempting to pull the decay clinging to his skin off. AS her hand drew nearer, the boy's eye widened and he attempted to pull back, but not quickly enough.

“Nononono--!” He cried out in pain, slapping Hinoka's hand away. One of the larger mushrooms came away from his cheek, along with a sizable flap of inflamed skin. Greenish pus leaked from the hole left behind, both princesses recoiling from him.

 

“UGH! Dammit, what the hell is _that!?_ Is _that_ what's going to happen to us if those things keep exploding on us!?” The red-headed woman exclaimed, tossing the bloody skin as far into the woods as possible and attempting to shake off the spores that clung to her glove. Azura shook her head, though she looked just as shaken as the rest of them.

“No. I've had them bleed on me multiple times, and it's never resulted in _that._ ” She took half a step forward, then thought better of it, addressing the stranger from where she stood. “Who are you?” Clutching the side of his face, the boy rocked back and forth slightly.

“An... An... An...t...”

“Do you not know your own name?” Xander asked sharply, his hand resting on the grip of his sword.

 

“I... don't know..? I think... it's 'An...t'?” He pulled his hands away from his face, looking back up at them. “Nobody... calls me no more.” Trembling with pain and fear, it was easy to see just how young he was. Pushing down her absolute disgust, Nerr approached him once more (though she didn't even attempt to reach out this time).

“Where are you from... Ant?”

“From... Gyges.”

“The capital?” Azura frowned. “No, that's impossible. No one lives there.”

“But we do.”

 

“ 'We'? How many people are actually _living_ here?”

“I-- I don't know. A lot?” Even though he seemed to be having an easier time speaking now, the air of confusion that surrounded him remained. “I try to stay away from them. Away from _him_. I had to run before he found me!”

“Who? Anankos?” Ant whined like a dog, ducking his head as he began rocking again.

“The Almighty has eyes everywhere. He sees all. He knows all. His will is absolute!” He began muttering to himself, his words melding into one another to the point that it was impossible to make out what he was saying, only the fear with which he said it. Nerr backed away slowly, stopping beside Azura.

 

“What's going on here? Is this kid crazy, or are there actually people living here?” The songstress was all but glaring at the boy's huddled form.

“There _can't_ be. Anankos would have killed them all, and even if he didn't, they'd have starved to death. There's no farmland- it had all been destroyed even before my mother and I fled.”

“Well, I can't imagine he's from Nohr or Hoshido if he knows the name of Valla's castle. He looks younger than Elise; there's no way he was born _before_ you fled. I don't think your mother was entirely honest with you about this place, Azura...” The singer's jaw clenched, but she remained silent. Nerr turned her attention back to the boy. “Ant. If you fled from the castle, then you must know the way there, yes? Can you show us?”

 

“ _NO!!!_ They all winced, his voice breaking as he screeched in terror. “I can't go back! I can't go back! He'll eat me! I can't go back!!”

“ 'Eat' you? Please tell me that's not a threat we're going to have to face.” Takumi groaned. Ryouma's voice was steadier, but his brows were unnaturally furrowed.

“Being eaten is a threat posed by anything with teeth, brother, yet you don't fear bears nearly as much. No mindless beast will pose a threat to us. _Or_ to you, boy, should you be our guide.” Ant shook his head, scraggly brown hair whipping about his face.

“No! I don't want to! I just got away! I don't wanna go back!”

“Where are you planning on fleeing, then?” The samurai asked, his tone hard. “You only made it this far before collapsing. If _we_ had not found you, what do you think would have become of you once those creatures did?”

“It would be safer for _you_ to travel in an armed group. Just as you were not killed by the monsters perusing you this time, so too you will be protected every subsequent time until we get to the castle.” The young boy's fearful shaking had lessened as the princes spoke.

 

“...and _then_ what?” Nerr answered for them.

“And then we will see to it that you are granted asylum outside of Valla. Surely this is a beneficial arrangement for us both?” She smiled in a reassuring manner, hoping it was still dark enough that he couldn't see that it didn't actually reach her eyes. He still seemed unsure, squirming uncomfortably under the collective gazes of the crowd.

“I-- I guess...”

“You may want to think on it a bit longer. But perhaps you should accompany us to a safer area, at least?” Obviously not convinced, but realizing there was nothing in back west but monsters, Ant nodded meekly.

“O-okay...”

 

The boy could walk on his own, though with a bit of a limp. It was a good thing, too, because Xander seemed as though he would not tolerate him being on his steed any longer. In fact, everyone was giving him a rather wide berth. Hopefully when they reached relative safety, Elise and Sakura would be able to heal him of... whatever was wrong with him. Maybe if he jumped off the edge of the cliff and landed at the Chasm, the viscera would simply slough off of him, but that felt like wishful thinking to Nerr. Valla was too nightmarish for such an easy solution, only serving to raise questions that she didn't truly want the answers to.

 

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A/N- Man, writer's block is hit me big time when I was writing this. Sometimes, I just have to write short chapters to move the story forward so I can get to the plot points that I can actually write well. I _HATE_ writing short chapters like this, but they're a necessary evil. And so we've formally met Arete and Anthony. I always _despised_ Anthony in the game, since his presence makes NO sense. Did Anankos make him? How? Why? Was he an actual human kid who just lived in Valla? Again, how? Questions are raised, but never answered. Well, I've said “fuck your test, IS” and made my OWN test that actually _has_ an answer sheet. With hookers, and booze... you know what, screw the test, I'm going to a strip club.


	18. Slowly But Clearer Now

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Ch.18- “Slowly But Clearer Now”

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Another hour of marching saw them reaching the end of the world. At least, the one they were currently standing on. The thick fog below them was darker than usual, an endless ocean of mist. Nerr wondered if there were any more islands beneath the clouds, or if it simply went on into nothingness for eternity. Surely there were _some_ places that did not lead back to the Chasm, and what of when the channel closed? If they jumped (or fell), would they simply fall until they died of starvation? Such thoughts were not conducive to steeling herself to cross that void. In the distance, there were mountains. Just mountains, suspended in the air, some on their side or even upside down, like massive teeth in the jaws of some creature that could swallow them whole and not even notice. Between the massive cliffs were smaller pieces of land, spaced out like stepping stones. Leo frowned deeply as he came to stand beside his sister, looking out at the nonsensical vista before them. Glancing over his shoulder, he glared at their new guide.

 

“You came from _there?”_ Ant nodded, an unsettling jerking motion. “... _how?_ ” The prince pressed. “It's at least half a mile between us and the nearest landmass.”

“Th-they move.”

“The islands?” Hinoka asked incredulously. Ant nodded again, his hair catching on the growths protruding from his face.

“Yeah. I-it takes a while, but they move. I just... w-waited until they came here... or went anywhere. I didn't care. Anywhere... anywhere away from there was good...”

 

“So I guess there's nothing to do now but wait and hope.” Shura threw himself onto the ground, gathering his cloak behind his head into a makeshift pillow. Nerr wished she could be so relaxed. Her eyes kept drifting down, the shadows beneath her a stark reminder of the Chasm. Inhaling sharply, she backed away. Desperate to think of something else, she turned her attention back to the young boy. Out of the dimly lit forest, she could see him so much clearer, and the sight was so much more horrible. The skin around the botanical lesions was inflamed, scabbed and oozing pus, made no better by his incessant scratching of the afflicted areas. In the back of her mind, her lessons on etiquette reminded her to be tactful, but she was not trying to spare the delicate feelings of some nobody lord afflicted with pockmarks.

 

“What happened to you? Are you ill?”

“No?” He looked at her quizzically. “I'm fine. Just itchy.”

“You clearly are not _fine_. Look at you!” Takumi exclaimed in disgust. “Did you roll around in those monsters?” Ant shrank back from the prince's harsh tone.

“No, I'm normal!” He argued. “Everybody... everybody looks like this. My mom and dad... I think. I don't remember. They fell down, and then... and then, everything got bad.” He slowly lowered himself to the ground, curling into a tight ball as he began to rock back and forth. Sakura tried to approach him, but was quickly held back by Ryouma. He hadn't said much, but it had been enough to paint a dark picture of what life under Anankos' rule was like. Azura's eyes were dark as she looked down at the Vallite boy, hard golden chips.

 

“This has to be a trap...” She whispered bitterly. “My mother left because there was nothing left to be done here. Anankos already destroyed everything. There couldn't be anyone left.”

“Maybe some people hid? It's impossible to keep tabs on every person.” Hinoka suggested, but the singer only shook her head, looking more upset at the suggestion.

“No! My mother would never leave anyone behind in this hellhole!” Her almost hysterical tone drew Ant's attention, and he looked up at her curiously.

“Wh-what are you talking about? Your... mother...? Are you... from here?” Azura seemed hesitant to answer, her jaw clenched tightly. Her voice was whisper quiet when she finally spoke.

 

“...yes. Exalt Arete--” She was cut off by an animalistic hiss as the boy covered his ears.

“The deserter! _Shame!_ ”

“Er... _what?_ ” Nerr asked, completely thrown off by that reaction.

“We do not speak the bitch's name! She who left us to rot! A mother who abandoned her children! Shameful!” His words sounded nothing like what a young boy could think of himself, but rather phrases heard from adults being parroted back. Azura shook her head, eyes wide in pained disbelief.

“No... no, she didn't!”

“She could have saved us! She could have calmed Anankos' fury, but she didn't! She left us all alone to die!! He curses us now for _her_ sin!” His fear and anger devolved into frantic mumblings, only tiny snippets of which Nerr could make out. “Almighty Anankos, have mercy on us, mercy, mercy, have mercy...” The blunette princess looked almost as upset as the boy, her lip quivering as her eyes shone with tears she refused to shed. Inhaling deeply, she turned on her heel, stalking away from the others. Sakura ran up to her, grabbing her hand.

 

“N-nee-sama! Don't go!”

“Sakura, let go. Please. I just... I need to be alone for a moment.” Her voice was not cold or cruel in the slightest, but compared to the usual warmth with which she spoke to her sister, the change was stark. The younger girl slowly drew her hands back to herself, letting Azura go. She didn't vanish back into the tree line (no one could be that stupid), but did continue along the edge of the island until her form was small and hazy. The others began whispering amongst themselves again, but the ones that drew Nerr's attention were her siblings' retainers. Frowning, she approached them, physically interjecting herself into the middle of their conversation.

 

“Um, excuse you?” Selena sneered, but Nerr was in no mood to deal with her particular attitude.

“You need to learn to mind your betters, girl. You all insisted on coming here because you claimed you could help. So far, you have told us nothing we didn't already know, aside from the fact that you're unreliable. So now is the time to start being helpful.” Odin looked away uncomfortably.

“Well... what do you want to know?”

“What do I--? _Everything!_ Tell me everything you know, you ass! Did you think there was something I _didn't_ want to know?! Why are you here? Who brought you here!?” The sorcerer swallowed hard, refusing to meet her eyes. All of them did. It was as unnerving as it was infuriating.

 

“It was... someone from Valla.” Lazwald said finally. “A man who's lived here for a very long time and wanted to do something before he couldn't any longer. He traveled to our kingdom. 'Please, save my country'. That was what he said.” Nerr frowned, scoffing.

 

“And that was all it took for you to pack up, cross the dark sea, and start new lives?”

“...that was enough.” Selena's voice lacked it's usual arrogance, timid and quiet now, and very unlike her. “We knew what it was to have our home destroyed by a power beyond our control...” The princess' eyes narrowed.

“ _What_ power?”

“Nothing you would be familiar with. Trust me, I've looked in historical texts; it isn't known in this corner of the world.”

 

Given that he was a mage, it wasn't a stretch to think that Odin would have read more than a few books and would know what was or wasn't written, but that only made Nerr more suspicious. They didn't speak as though they were referring to something as simple as a plague, but rather, as though a god-like being threatening their civilization was passé. But that was ridiculous; those tales were so old, they were almost myth them self. She inhaled slowly, refusing to let her anger and suspicion get the better of her.

 

“So a random man from this hereto unknown kingdom traveled across the sea and enlisted you three to lead a campaign to kill an Ancient One, because you're just _sooo_ special?” Lazwald grinned at her, shrugging lightly.

“Seems that way.” His expression turned serious. “Believe me, milady, I dislike keeping secrets as much as you dislike not knowing them. If I- if any of us- believed what little more we knew could better aid you, we'd have told you already.” The younger girl pursed her lips, pointing to the edge of the island.

“Do you see that? The second I know you're not being truthful, I'm kicking you off it. The three of you will be the way we test whether or not the passage in the Chasm has closed, since you don't appear to be good for anything else.” The blonde man paled visibly, taking several steps back.

 

“Th-there is _something_ we know.” He stuttered. “There's a way to weaken Anankos. He left a spell- a song!- and a piece of his dragonstone to the royal family of Valla! It's supposed to calm him.”

“I don't think that's going to work...” Nerr whispered to herself, looking over at Azura's silhouette in the mist. So the stone in her pendant _was_ the same as her own dragonstone, but gods knew that “spell” had only served to freak her out. Still, that was _some_ information she hadn't known before. She reached out to pat the mage on the shoulder, ignoring the way he flinched from her. “Keep being useful.”

000

 

It was well over an hour before there was any noticeable change in the position of the smaller islands. Hinoka was the first one to notice it.

 

“Look! Some of them are lining up!” The Hoshidans were at the edge quicker, as the Nohrians were attempting to put Camilla's wyvern's wing in a splint.

“Th-they look like stepping stones.” Sakura whispered, awe still coloring her words even though she had seen many of these small pieces of land since arriving here. Ryouma shook his head slightly.

“Everything about this place is unnatural. I hate it.” Hinoka had broken away from her siblings just long enough to lead her pegasus over to the edge, quickly alighting.

 

“What are you doing?” Nerr asked before she even thought about what she was going to say.

“Scouting ahead. The last thing we need is to head over to another island and then realize it's overrun with monsters after we can't get back.”

“And you plan on heading to an island potentially overrun with monsters by yourself?”

“Unless you want to come with me?” The red haired princess held out her hand. The word “no” was already on Nerr's tongue, but she swallowed it, nodding. Hinoka grinned widely at her, and it was at that moment she realized that she hadn't actually come face to face with her blood sister since her ill-fated attempt at fleeing Hoshido. The pegasus' saddle was hardly large enough for two people, but Nerr had grown used to taking uncomfortable positions while flying. “Hold on tight, Nerrida. And _don't_ try to jump off!”

 

“Does it look like I have a death wish?!”

“Can never be too sure with you...” The older woman muttered to herself as she dug her heels into the pegasus' sides. It took a bit of a running start with a heavier load, but within seconds, they were airborne. From above, Nerr could see the islands lining up even better. They did indeed look like stepping stones, ones with a drop of thousands of feet between the gaps. And the gaps were large. There were several places that spanned meters, where other islands were nowhere near close enough to give them a proper way across. Hinoka noticed them too, nearly shouting to try and speak over the flapping and wind rushing past their ears.

 

“We're gonna have a hard time crossing those gaps! I guess I'm gonna have to ferry us across on Kinka!”

“Then our horses will be left behind. And please stop yelling; I can hear you just fine.” Indeed, given that she was right beside the other princess, she may as well have been yelling directly into her ear.

“Oh. Sorry.” They both remained silent as they flew further and further, until the forest they'd left behind was little more than another mountain obscured by the fog. Their destination, the next large plot of land, at least as large as the woodland, looked nothing like what they had traversed thus far.

 

“There're houses down there...” Given the ruins everywhere, it shouldn't have shocked Nerr as much as it did, but these were actual houses, most of them almost completely intact. There were wooded areas here too, but most of it that she could see looked like it had been hospitable until fairly recently.

“I guess that boy was right. Those houses look newly deserted. Do you think this piece is from the capital he was talking about?” She didn't know, but the thought that there had been people huddled in those homes even a few months ago, trembling in fear as they waited for the watery corpses of their neighbors to find them, chilled her to the bone. Nerr leaned closer to Hinoka's back, leeching off the other woman's warmth as much as she could with plates of steel between them.

“Let's go back. I don't see anything.”

“Yeah, neither do I. Hopefully we can make camp in one of those houses.” As the pegasus turned and the sight of solid ground was replaced with the void beneath, _an all encompassing darkness that swallowed them up, even the sound, frightened eyes vanishing into the abyss_ , the Nohrian princess shuddered, nearly climbing up her blood sister's back. Hinoka glanced over her shoulder, laughing breathlessly. “What? Are you scared of heights?”

 

“No. I'm scared of falling into that nothingness below us and being impaled on a mountain.” The red-haired woman stared at her incredulously.

“...you're a manakete. You have wings.”

“You have ears, just like most animals. So I suppose that means you can move them at will like they do, yes?”

“That's a fair point, I guess. But it's not like I never _tried_ to wiggle my ears, at least as a child. Did you ever... try? Flying, I mean.”

“No. Surprisingly, there wasn't much time for that in between all the battles and traveling across the continent.” Not to mention Nerr wasn't very inclined to put herself through the pain of growing another skeleton unless it was a life or death situation. Of course, Hinoka didn't know that.

 

“Well, maybe now is a good time to start trying. Considering how many sheer drops are around us, it might be good if you could just fly back up. I could help you if you want. It could be a bonding experience!” The younger girl shrank back slightly.

“Right now, I'd rather not have to jump off anything if I can avoid it...”

“Oh. Right. That... makes perfect sense. Well, maybe later.” The Hoshidan princess' enthusiasm deflated at once. Nerr felt bad; clearly, her blood sister looked forward to the thought of flying lessons, but she could not imagine the ground not being beneath her feet unless she was falling, and if she was falling, Anankos could be right there, waiting in the darkness, eyes all fixed on her as he attempted to burn her alive... The moment the pegasus landed, Nerr rolled off it's back, dropping to her knees on the ground. _'No more...'_ She thought as she clutched the grass, as though it could anchor her. Hinoka didn't bother dismounting, turning to the others.

 

“The coast looks clear, but there are more than a few gaps that are too large to cross.” Leo groaned loudly.

“Oh gods, not again...” Xander approached him, setting his hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

“The burden carried by those that inherit the holy regalia is great indeed.” The younger boy shrugged the hand off, stalking over to his destrier with heavy, angry steps.

“No, brother, the burden carried by _me_ is great. You and Camilla and the Hoshidans just have fancy, pointy sticks. None of _you_ are expected to help the farmers when their crops don't grow. None of _you_ need to exert any effort as long as _I'm_ here to do everything...” The Hoshidans didn't seem pleased to be told they were, in essence, worthless, but before Takumi could open his mouth, Nerr silenced him with a look.

 

“You're right, Leo. It's wretched that we have to rely so much on you in this horrid place, but you are the only one that can help us.”

“I _know._ ” He seethed.

“You do know how grateful we are to you, right? It's little wonder that you alone could wield Brynhildr, given that any of us would probably buckle under the strain of such demands.” There was no quicker way to Leo's heart than through his ego, especially when he knew as well as the simpering party that most of their flatteries were true. The young prince stood up a bit straighter, some of his typical haughtiness back in his face.

“I'm surprised, Nerr. Normally you'd be the last one to admit to needing my many talents.”

 

“I'm not blind, baby brother. You're just insufferable enough as it is _without_ me groveling.” Leo smirked slightly, setting his foot in the stirrup and climbing into the saddle.

“Well, I'll agree that you're not blind.” Nerr sighed in relief as he took the lead, the others falling in line behind him. Several islands had come close enough that they could cross from one to the other with ease, although more than a few times the edge crumbled slightly, resulting in some of them losing their balance. While they waited for Brynhildr's magic to span the gap between their current spot and their destination, she noticed Gunther wandering off to one of the further corners. He seemed to be digging something out from under a thick layer of moss. The vague notion of just how many people melted onto whatever it was to result in so much growth turned her stomach. Swallowing, she stood on her toes, attempting to peer over her betrothed's shoulder, and frowning at the strange artifact she glimpsed.

 

“What is that?”

“...I don't know.” He mused absentmindedly, tracing a thick spiral that appeared to be crafted from bronze, green with age, and set deep into a stone.

“It's a warp stone.” Azura said, approaching but keeping a fair amount of distance between herself and said stone. “They're scattered all over Valla. They don't work anymore.”

“Well, maybe we can jump-start them!” Elise offered energetically, pulling out her tome. “We just hit them with a spell and _presto!_ We can be in the capital tomorrow!”

 

“ _Or_ we could end up inside a volcano.” Shura grumbled. “Unless it somehow escaped your notice that this country has been torn to literal shreds and even the girl _from_ here doesn't know where anything is anymore?” The young princess looked down, clutching her tome tightly to her chest.

“N-no... I just thought...”

“It was a good idea, Elise.” Nerr fixed her sister with a reassuring smile. “Just... not a risk we should take now. Slow and steady is better than us warping into a wall.” There were more of those strange pads scattered around as they came across more remnants of civilization. Most of them were broken, smashed with man-made tools by the look of it, as opposed to having broken through some force of nature. It gave the distinct impression that someone was adamant about no one using them, which only made Nerr wonder where exactly they led to.

 

As the dilapidated houses came into view, the small group all seemed to be gathering close to the edge of their current island, all except Ant who had his back pressed against one of the larger boulders that jutted from the ground. Nerr couldn't imagine that the sight of a land bridge forming was _that_ interesting, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving far too quickly in the sky beside them. Her first thought was that it was a wyvern, perhaps an ambush by those horrid creatures, but as it came closer, she realized it was another, far smaller island. It did not drift lazily as the others did, no. With far too much speed, it drew closer and closer to the one they currently stood on, colliding with the side with so much force that the earth shook, throwing them all off balance. Their mounts panicked as the ground began crumbling away, resulting in the bridge Leo had begun to craft falling into the void below. Xander pulled Camilla away from the precarious edge, breathing hard as he watched the island get smaller.

 

“What in all the hells what that?!” He roared, a definitive fear mixed with his anger.

“Oh... Th-that happens sometimes...” Ant said quietly. “When they start moving fast, you gotta get away from the edge.” Ryouma turned to glare at the boy.

“And it didn't occur to you to warn us of that?” To his credit, the Vallite boy held his ground, scowling at the older man.

“ 's not _my_ fault you're stupid. Why'd you stand so close to the edge in the first place?” The others regarded him with increased suspicion, if not open disdain, but said nothing as the ground at their feet continued falling into the void.

000

 

It took nearly an hour just to traverse the span of the two larger islands. The clouds had grown darker by the time they reached their destination, small pockets of the sky an inky blue dotted with stars while others remained the same misty gray as always. Nerr pushed her way through the others to better see their surroundings. It was indeed the remnants of a settlement, though it had been reclaimed by nature, forcefully by the look of it. Thick, leafy vines strangled columns and the broken remains of statues, while moss crept it's way up the bases of the homes that still stood. The ground was spongy beneath her feet, a thick carpet of moss and grass dotted with flowers in every color of the rainbow. Her stomach dropped.

 

“...why is it so pretty?” She whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Were she in Nohr, or even Hoshido, she'd have been enthralled by the scene laid out before her, but there, she would not have thought of the dozens, possibly hundreds of lives that had been lost to result in such a setting.

“Everything is red...” Ant whimpered, crouching with his head clasped in his hands, rocking slightly. Elise frowned at the boy.

“No, it's not. It's green!” Azura approached the younger girl as she began to dismount, her voice quiet.

“I think he means that many people died here, Elise. Most of these plants are probably the people who lived in this village before Anankos found them.”

“What!? No!” The Nohrian princess had just set one foot on the ground, quickly climbing back into her saddle. Leo pushed his sweaty hair back from his eyes.

 

“It's nothing to freak out over, Elise. People always return to the earth when they die. Even back home. It might take longer, but they become the plants around us as well.”

“That's terrible!” Hinoka exclaimed, her face turning slightly green, perhaps amplified by the verdant tint of the light. “If you respect your dead, you should burn them.”

“ _Burn_ the dead?” Camilla asked, aghast. “How horrible! You may as well cosign their souls to hell!” The red headed princess looked ready to argue, but Shura stepped between them.

 

“Ladies, ladies... you're _both_ wrong. Everyone knows the best way to deal with the dead is to just throw them in the woods and let the wolves eat them.” Despite herself, Nerr sniggered at the pirate's grim humor. Ryouma clearly didn't share her amusement.

“Things are grim enough without arguing how best to deal with the departed. Instead of focusing on death, let us focus on _avoiding_ it. We need to find somewhere sheltered that we can make camp.” Hinoka stepped forward, grateful for the change of subject.

“I saw a place that looked mostly intact from above. I think it was further inland.”

 

As they walked through the maze of green, Nerr was certain she noticed spots on the walls that were darker than the rest, where the vegetation was thicker and formed distinctly human shapes. Thick roots snaked across the ground, and more than once she had to blink hard, convinced she had stepped on a leg or arm proper. _Nerr..._ She shook her head, a buzzing in her ears that made her skin crawl. Her steps grew more and more sluggish until her feet were glued to the ground. She could feel eyes on her, but her siblings and the others were all ahead of her. A hand settled onto her shoulder, and before she could stop herself, she'd grabbed the offending wrist with fingers that were cracking as they grew longer. Nerr gasped as she noticed her claws digging gouges into the dark purple armor, forcing her hand down to her side.

 

“Gods! Don't scare me like that, Gunther!”

“I'm sorry, Nerr. I thought you heard me; I called to you and you stopped...”

“...sorry. My mind is... elsewhere.” She backed into the older man, taking his arms in her hands and wrapping them around herself as she looked up at the half rotting roof from which a large tree had sprouted. “...how do you think the people here died?”

“Screaming.” Gunther answered, not a moment's hesitation in his voice. He bent, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “You must be tired. When we make camp, you just sit and I'll take care of everything.” She let him steer her towards the others, her limbs stiff as a chill settled in her gut. The house Hinoka had seen was one of the larger ones in the settlement, much of it's foundation carved from stone, which perhaps allowed it to better withstand the rot that overtook most everything else. Large trees, heavy with strange yellowish orange fruits, cast dark shadows over the entrance. For the first time, Ant dropped his fearful demeanor, running over to the tree and fighting with one of the low-hanging branches for a fruit. He tore it open with a frightening ferocity, devouring whatever lay inside.

 

“Oh! I-I want one too!” Sakura too attempted to pluck one of the fruits, but it gave up more of a fight that she seemed able to win. Kaze approached, kunai in hand, and cut it down for her.

“Allow me, Sakura-sama.” He sliced it in two, frowning as red juice stained his gloves. Still, the young girl took it with a smile, one that quickly slipped from her face as she saw what it contained.

“Eurgh!!” Sakura tossed it away from her, red pulp splattering onto the dusty tree roots. “I-it's red! Why is it so red!?” Takumi turned one of the halves over with the toe of his boot, his lips curling as he took in the slimy innards surrounded by a thick pith. He rounded on Ant, who had finished what he ate and was creeping over to the one lying on the ground.

 

“You! What the hell is this crap?!” The boy looked up, a horrible sight with his overgrown face and lips and teeth stained red.

“It's food.”

“No shit it's 'food' to you, but everything in this hellhole used to be people!” Ant frowned, obviously confused.

“It's _food_.” Takumi growled, clearly frustrated that his inquiry was going nowhere, but Ryouma silenced him with a look. He turned his gaze to Ant, who was paying them no mind, eating ravenously, as though it were his first meal in ages. Given the state of him, it may well have been.

“When you say it's 'food', do you mean this is a naturally occurring crop in Valla, or was this once a person's kidneys?”

 

“Do you really think you're in a position to care about that, princeling?” Shura edged his way forward, swiping another low-hanging fruit and ripping it open, the deep crimson juices seeping between his fingers. He waved half of the offending fruit in Ryouma's face, smirking as the emperor backed away, his lips twisted in disgust. “Beggars can't be choosers.”

“The hell I can't!” Elise huffed, drawing an affronted gasp from both Camilla and Nerr.

“ _Elise!_ ”

“What? I'm not eating that! It's gross!”

“Then you can starve.” Gunther intoned rather coldly. “Because surely feeling your body waste away as it eats itself is preferable to tasting something your delicate palate isn't familiar with--”

 

“Gunther! That's enough! You're freaking everyone out!” Of course, by “everyone”, Nerr meant Elise, whose face was turning the color of curdled milk, and herself. “No one is going to starve. This is why we brought supplies, and why I warned that only a few of us should come here before we knew where we were going. So everyone, just calm down... and stop thinking about cannibalization.” That was easier said than done when no less than two of their traveling party's mouths were ringed in a red that smeared far too much like blood for her taste. There was still a good deal of uneasy mumbling as they crept into their newfound shelter. Nerr's stomach turned as she looked up at the tree, but despite herself, she found her feet dragging her over to Shura, who had just tossed the thick skin of the demon fruit to the ground.

 

“What... what does it taste like?”

“ _The souls of the damned..._ ” He whispered in a guttural voice that was undercut by his almost immediate laughter. “Nah, I'm just fucking with you, ladyship.” His roguish grin vanished. “It tastes like unripe pears, and that's so much worse, somehow.” Despite his claim, she wasn't sure which half of his statement to take seriously. Perhaps there was just something too unnerving in the thought that whatever blood and bile had crept into that tree produced normal tasting fruit. Forcing herself not to shudder, the princess followed the others, blinking hard to let her eyes adjust more quickly to the dark.

 

While there were still beams that held up the high ceiling, most of the manor had been gutted, though by what, she couldn't be sure. Much of the wood had been colored jet black, as though by soot, but there was so much mold and mildew snaking across the baseboards that it seemed the entire place had been flooded. Regardless, it was as inhospitable as one could imagine. Unsheathing the Yato, Nerr drove her blade into the soft wooden floor, the faint glow emanating from the metal casting at least a little light. Enough for her to notice the gouges in the boards. Many of them looked like teeth marks left by rats, a sight she was familiar with, but there were a few that were too long, too wide, to have been left by tiny pests. Those looked more recent as well. She knelt, dragging her fingers along the grooves, where they fit almost perfectly. A thousand scenarios ran through her mind, none of them anything pleasant. The only constant in them all was that Anankos was the cause.

 

While the others set about trying to make the cold and damp less so, Nerr found a corner that was relatively bare of mildew to sit in. Odin's frantic words from earlier tickled the edges of her thoughts. Anankos, who destroyed his own kingdom, who aimed to destroy hers, who killed Jakob... was she truly to believe something so full of cruelty and hate would do anything that might help overthrow it? Frowning, she reached for her bag, pulling out her small sewing kit. Beneath the spools and needles and the tightly folded black square, sat an off white scrap of paper. The gods themselves wanted him stopped. Perhaps they had been more forthcoming than those three interlopers. She tried to pull it out without dropping everything, but was distracted by sabatons coming to a halt in front of her. She looked up just as Gunther knelt, somewhat awkwardly as his hands were preoccupied trying to keep the steaming contents of a cup inside it. She frowned slightly, closing her kit.

 

“What is that?”

“Tea. It took a while to get it to boil. Magical fire isn't good for anything but light and killing people...” But at least it burnt, which was a godsend considering everything was either green or damp. Nerr managed a small smile as she took the cup from him, ignoring the way it burnt her fingers even through her gloves. She should have waited for it to cool, but was honestly too happy to have a distraction, especially one that could ward off the chill that seemed ready to settle in her bones. Her eyes watered from the heat, but even that was not enough to mask the distinctive metallic tang blooming on her tongue that she chose to believe came from the battered, iron cup.

 

The liquid caught in her throat as she remembered the last time she'd had tea. Jakob had prepared it for her their last day in the Cyrkensian inn. That she could have known that was the last time she would ever taste perfect tea, she would have savored it instead of just assuming he would make another cup for her the next day. Gods, how she took everything about him for granted... The steam warmed her face while a chill ran through the rest of her. Gunther lifted her chin, concern visible in the furrow of his brows.

 

“Nerr? What is it, dearest?”

“...I miss Jakob...” She whispered, her voice a tiny, miserable thing that could barely be heard over the quiet chatter of the others gathered around their fire. With a bit of difficulty, the knight took a seat beside her, drawing the younger woman into an embrace that was made a fair bit uncomfortable by their armor.

“I know, my love. I know... I miss him too...” Nerr curled up further, her grip on the cup tightening, the heat felt through her gloves more and more.

“I keep thinking about how terrible I was to him--”

“You _weren't._ You were kind, Nerr, far kinder than any other royal would have been.”

 

“I don't even know his family's name!” She slammed her cup down with more force than she had intended, much of it's contents splashing over the side and soaking between the gaps in her gauntlet. “If I get out of here, I can't even tell his parents that their son is dead!” She choked through the tears she was fighting. Gunther shushed her gently, stroking her head with one hand as he took hers with the other.

 

“You needn't worry about that, my little ladyship. They wouldn't care. Their son was dead to them the moment they left him on the steps of Krakenburg.”

“But--!”

“The only family he had that mattered was you and I.” Yes... yes, that was right. Nerr managed to pull away just enough to look her betrothed in the eye, a desperate, near manic hope welling up inside her.

 

“You knew him better than I did. You _had_ to know his family name!” The older man pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

“Nerr, you should just put this from your mind--”

“I _can't!_ Someone I've known and loved all my life is _gone!_ I don't _want_ to put it from my mind; I want to think about him, I want to remember him! Why don't _you?!_ Why don't you _care!?_ ” Even through the blur of her tears, she could see the tired sympathy on Gunther's face grow cold and harden, his eyes darkening as he slowly lowered his hand to look at her. In a harsh contrast to her breaking squeal, his voice was an even quiet that spoke of a fury far beyond anger.

 

“You _dare_ presume to think I don't care...? You, who knows _nothing_ of loss, thinks you can judge how deeply I care? I have lost more than you will ever have, Nerr. I could only catch glimpses of my brothers and sisters-in-arms as they succumbed to their death throes because I was too busy running for my life in a desperate attempt to avoid their fate. I heard the people I'd grown up with beg for their lives as they were cut down by the soldiers they thought would protect them. My mother, my sisters, my _son-_ I couldn't even bury them! Do you think I don't care because you don't see me weep? Because I don't dredge those memories up every waking minute? _Do you?_ ” His grip on her hand tightened considerably, to the point that the metal plates of her gauntlets were driven into her skin through the leather.

“N-no... but--”

 

“But _nothing_ , Nerr. I've grieved for decades.” He released her suddenly, and it was as though all the anger and frustration went out of him, leaving naught but a soul deep misery in it's place. “I'm so tired... I don't want to think about grief anymore. I just want to forget everything, but I can't because every time I try, _something keeps reminding me.”_ The princess flinched, even though his words were not especially harsh. She could do nothing but lower her gaze to the wringing hands in her lap.

 

“...I'm sorry, dearest.” She breathed. “You're right. Dwelling on such things won't help. ...you're always right...” Gunther's expression softened, and he leaned down to kiss her temple.

“ _I'm_ sorry, my love. I don't say such things to hurt you, surely you know that. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I know how it feels to lose yourself in misery, to obsess about what you've lost, about how things should have been... It feels right at first.” He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him. Even though they were a fair distance from the fire, the light flickering in his eyes made the violet there brighter, reminding her far too much of the flames that licked at the feet of Valla's undead. “It's not. To waste away with grief, thoughts consumed with only the dead... you may as well just lay down and die yourself. You're stronger than that, Nerr.” No... no, she wasn't, but he looked at her with such expectation that she could only force herself to nod.

 

In spite of her desire to, she couldn't stop his words repeating in her mind on a loop as they set to cooking their meal for the night, the low bubbling of the pottage mimicking the way her thoughts seemed to simmer. Don't think about it, don't dwell on the ones you've lost, even a child... A child she never knew about, a child he must have had with another women that she undoubtedly wouldn't have learned the existence of had it not been for this new tragedy dredging up terrible memories. Gods, what a wretched person she was, her grief in that moment not lessened by Gunther's words, but replaced with frustration and, dare she admit it, anger. _'No,'_ she struggled to remind herself, ' _That's not me. That's Valla making me_ _ **think**_ _I'm angry. Anankos is trying to drive me crazy, and it's not going to work...'_ She reassured herself that these weren't her feelings, but even that constant mantra did little to quell the churning in her stomach. She couldn't bring herself to eat more than a few bites of the paste-like peas before her. Ant eagerly accepted her unfinished mean, devouring the unseasoned slop as though it were a delicacy. Given his emaciated figure, it very well was, reminding Nerr bitterly that even outside of this gods forsaken abyss, there were people in just as dire straits. There was no time to wallow in her roiling self pity and loathing. In the morning, she would try and wring some more information from her siblings' retainers; they definitely knew more than they were letting on, and she would not tolerate that any longer.

 

Given the lost cause dinner had been, the draconic princess expected any attempts at sleep to follow in the same vein. Gunther had taken it upon himself to lay out blankets in a makeshift bed for her in the far corner of the room so the fire's light would not disturb her. Despite her constant assurances that she could make her own bed, her retainer paid her (albeit) half-hearted protests no mind. It was almost unnerving how quickly and easily the knight seemed to regress back to his old warm and doting self, but given that the alternative was now hard words and cold stares, Nerr gladly embraced every small gesture of kindness that she once wouldn't have given a second thought to. The others stayed up... mostly. Elise had already nodded off, curled up between Xander and Camilla, while Sakura was fighting a losing battle against her drooping eyelids.

 

It was still relatively early (at least, in the contexts of when they had woken), but given how uneasy everyone's sleep had been since arriving in the desolate kingdom, it was no wonder that most of them would all but pass out the moment they were afforded any semblance of safety. Nerr found herself in the same boat as her younger sisters. In spite of the insomnia that had been plaguing her for months, the moment her head touched her bundled up cape, she found herself dozing off. The crackling of the fire and the muffled whispers blended together in her mind, becoming a distant hiss that followed her into the darkness of unconsciousness, a darkness _split by jagged lines, thunder sending vibrations through her body even though there was no hint of rain in the air, only the metallic tang of blood and the acrid stink of smoke. There was fire, flames dancing hundreds of feet in the air from the gaping mouth of the Chasm, the heat blistering her skin even from where she stood, far and away, a sea of bodies between her and it, stripped of armor and weapons and any discernible features that could tell her if they were Nohrian or Hoshidan._

 

_The flames were indiscriminate, greedily devouring anything and everything, regardless of origin, the ground crumbling away and widening the gap, bodies and stone falling into the void and putting less and less distance between her and the fire. She wanted to run, her feet were already carrying her backwards when she noticed a singular silhouette against the_ _light. Without thinking she stopped backing away,_ _and instead_ _r_ _an_ _forward, a mad dash, tripping over limbs both attached and removed from the bodies at her feet. Sweat stung her eyes as her hair and skin burnt away, but she was almost there, almost at the crumbling edge. The orange and reds of the flames turned an even more blinding violet just as she reached out her hand, she was so close, her fingers brushing against the black and indigo livery that she herself had sewn- the same indigo of the eyes that were vaporized as the flames washed over them, over her, burning her away to bone and ash--_

 

Nerr forced her eyes open, breathing hard as she fought the wave of nausea burning her gut. It took a moment for her to adjust to the darkness of the dilapidated hovel. The fire they had lit had gone out, extinguished by it's caster as she knew magic flames did not burn out until there was nothing left to burn. Her skin felt tight and itchy, as though she had fallen asleep too close to the remaining embers despite being as far from them as the walls would allow. The princess struggled against the arm wrapped around her waist, biting back the urge to kick her fiancée off her limbs like the stubborn, tangling blanket he felt like. It took some doing, but she finally managed to free herself, scrambling to her feet and half running, half stumbling out into the courtyard.

 

The sky was darker than usual, at least in places. Most of the sky was still the same misty gray it always was, but there were rippling patches where she could see the faintest hint of stars if she squinted hard enough. Breathing hard, Nerr fumbled with the straps holding her armor on, her shaking fingers making the easy task take twice as long as it should have. By the time she managed to get half of it open, she was too frustrated to bother with the other side, instead contorting to get it off and throwing the breastplate away from her before she could stop herself. The loud, metallic crash stopped her heart cold, and she held her breath, eyes darting from shadow to shadow to see if anything would start to pour out of them. After several torturous minutes of nothing happening, the princess finally let out the breath she had been holding.

 

“Can't sleep, huh?” A scream caught in her throat as she whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice even as she reached for the sword that she'd left inside. “Calm down, princess, yeesh.” There was a rustling of leaves as Shura dropped down from the branches of the large tree she hadn't even thought to give a cursory glance. How easily he could have been a swarm of monsters, reaching out with watery limbs to pull her up and snap her neck without her being any the wiser. The Kougan man seemed to have similar thoughts, frowning as he brushed the leaves from his cloak. Given their similar color, it was little wonder he blended in so well with the green shadows. “You should be more aware of your surroundings. Lead by example, and all that.”

 

Once, she would have had a retort on the tip of her tongue, _I must be providing a decent enough example, seeing as we're all still alive,_ but any response died in her throat. Instead, she walked towards her discarded armor, but rather than pick it up, continued past it. It was beyond foolish, walking around unarmed, in little more than a mail shirt, but she could not stop herself stalking through the shadows cast by twisted trees and abandoned homes. The remnants of civilization lay scattered all around her, barely visible through the tangled vines and moss blanketing them. The dead were at her feet, and she walked over them, thinking nothing of it, just as she did in her dream. Forcing herself to lift her gaze, she spied what appeared to be a spire of sorts well in the distance, but the sharp pain that surged through her temples and down her neck saw her lowering her head just as quickly.

000

 

With every mile they traveled through the ghost town, their guide grew more and more reluctant to continue. More than once, Ant (Antoine? Anthony? Surely that had to be short for something) would simply stop dead in his tracks and refuse to move forward, sometimes rocking violently or chewing at his fingers, others frozen in a near catatonic state.

 

“We can go without him.” Azura insisted as they were forced to stop for the fifth time that day by the boy's staunch refusal to move from the spot he was occupying. “Once we find the edge of this island, I'll be able to find my bearings and direct us towards the capital.”

“And what if everything's rotated a full ninety degrees and you have no idea where you are?” Nerr countered, pausing in her alternating between trying to coax the boy forward and trying to pull him as one would a stubborn mule (no one else would deign to get close enough to touch him). The songstress frowned slightly.

“That would still take less time than _this_. For every second we waste here, Anankos can be sending his soldiers to Hoshido or Nohr.” The other princess sighed, turning to face the Vallite.

 

“So what do you suggest; that we just leave him here?”

“Yes.”

“Abandon him?”

“Yes--!” Golden eyes widened as she realized exactly what she was saying. “No! That's not-- I didn't mean--” Ryouma approached her, placing a brotherly hand on her shoulder.

 

“We know what you meant, sister. And you're entirely right. It may well be a safer option for us to make our own way.”

“Getting lost in this hell hole is safer _how?”_

“This... boy... could very well be Anankos' spy; he could be luring us into a trap.”

“This whole kingdom is a trap!” Nerr argued. “Everything here is probably going to kill us if we stay too long. Right now, I'd follow one of those water zombies if it looked like it knew where it was going. Ant.” She turned back to the boy, who was muttering unintelligibly to himself. “Where are we going? Where did you come from to get here?” His mumbling grew more deranged as he shook his head. Unable to stop herself, Nerr grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly, wincing as something squelched under her glove. “Stop it! I know you can hear me! Where did you come from before here?!” He shrank away from her like a scolded dog.

 

“Th-that way...!” He raised a shaking hand, pointing at something in the skyline. Over the roofs that were still standing, they could see a pillar in the distance, the same one she hadn't given a second thought the night before. “There's a temple on the outskirts of the capital- blessed Anankos, deliver us from darkness-- It's-- it's locked up, but there are tunnels under it. That's how I got out. No one goes under the earth; that's where he rests.” Takumi's face paled as he went from half-listening with a bored expression to fully attentive.

“Wait, what? Did you just say Anankos is underground? And that's where you want _us_ to go? No. No, fuck this kid. I'm with Azura nee-san on this; leave his ass behind. This is clearly a trap.” Leo hummed with a thoughtful frown.

 

“I doubt he means a god-sized creature is under that specific parcel of land. Maybe he's referring to a crypt; Anankos clearly has dominion over the dead, so it would make sense that people would be afraid of anything resembling a grave here.”

“I don't blame them.” Hinoka added with a slight shudder. “See? _This_ is why you cremate the dead. Then they can't be made into whatever Faceless monstrosities these are.”

“Well, regardless of what awaits us, we at least know we're getting close now. Personally, I'm hoping it's Anankos himself; bringing the fight to us would be the one helpful thing he's done.”

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A/N- I would honestly be happier if I was just writing a character study set in the hellscape of Valla, but _no_ , I had to go and try to fix what should've just been thrown out wholesale. I'm getting back on track, I promise. The problem is that Revelation as a game is all over the place. One second they're on floating islands, then they're indoors, then they're in a forest, then they're on floating islands-- god damn, IntSys, could you make a more disjointed game if you tried? And it doesn't feel like purposeful disjointing either; it's just _really_ shitty design from a narrative perspective, and that's what I'm trying to tackle now.


	19. Pharisee

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Ch.19- “Pharisee”

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A/N- “ _I can't really say that I feel that much at all, and yet I feel my cheeks as the tears nearly fall...”_

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As they trudged through the decaying town, a fine mist of rain would occasionally pour from the sky. Which part of the sky, exactly, seemed to shift as easily as the breeze. Most of the time, it fell onto their heads, as rain ought to, but more than once, the water came from below them, made evident by the sight of a slightly darker ring encircling them. Kaze, the only one brave (or foolish) enough to venture towards the edge of the island, held his hand out, water collecting on his glove, only to be pulled back down, counter to the direction the rain was falling. He glanced back at Azura, his brows furrowed.

 

“Does it always do this, milady?” The singer was paying him no mind, her neck craned back to look at the sky. The area directly above them remained clear, at least, as clear as Valla's sky would allow.

“I don't remember. In all my memories, it's sunny.” A quiet whimper drew their attention away from the songstress. Ant was crouched on the ground, his head tucked between his knees (as much as it could be without disturbing the growths on his face). He covered his head with his hands, his small body trembling.

“He's angry. The sky cries when he's angry. We need to go. We need to go. I don't want to be here!”

“What are you so scared of? It's just rain.” Despite the confused frown pursing her lips, there was something almost haughty in Elise's voice. Before Nerr could open her mouth, Leo spoke aloud the words they had all been thinking.

 

“Strong words coming from one who, until only recently, started bawling at the sound of thunder.” Color rose in the young girl's cheeks as she quickly averted her gaze from the eyes all fixated on her.

“Th-that's different!”

“No, it isn't.” Nerr chided gently, even as she approached the Vallite boy. “Just because _you're_ not afraid of something doesn't mean it's not scary to someone else.” She knelt beside him, gingerly touching his less malformed shoulder. “Ant. I know you're afraid of Anankos. But I promise you, he can't hurt you now.”

“Yes he can!”

“No, he can't. I won't let him.”

“How do _you_ know?!”

“Because I'm the Chosen One. I'm the one the gods themselves said would stop him. Why do you think I'm here?” Slowly, Ant raised his head. Beneath the growth riddled, inflamed skin, dark eyes shone. With tears, to be sure, but there was something else in them that made her stomach churn. Hope.

 

“R-really...?”

“Yes.” She lied easily, the same kind of white lie that rolled off her tongue when she was speaking to her siblings back at the Citadel. “I'll make sure Anankos never hurts anyone else ever again. But I need to find him first.” Wiping his dribbling nose on his already filthy sleeve, the boy got to his feet, a bit unsteady, but shaking far less as he reluctantly set about leading them through the shadowy alleys. Nerr sighed deeply, unconsciously wiping her hand on her tights. She fell in step behind the others, so it was little surprise that she nearly jumped out of her skin as heavy footsteps crunched the mossy sand and gravel beside her. The Yato was half out of it's sheathe by the time she recognized the red and white robes.

 

“Gods damn it, Ryouma; announce yourself next time. I almost gutted you!”

“With those reflexes? Not likely.” The humor in his voice vanished as he affixed her with a hard stare. “You should be grateful it is only me and not an enemy. You could be lying two houses back with a knife through your throat with the way you're paying attention to your surroundings.” A knife in the throat sounded preferable to this conversation, she thought bitterly as she quickened her pace. Alas, despite being dwarfed by Nohrian men, the Hoshidan prince- emperor- was still taller than her, and able to match her frenzied jog with ease.

 

“Are you trying to avoid talking to me?”

“Yes. Why; were you confused by me running away?” Ryouma sighed, his brows furrowing beneath the faceplates he wore.

“I know we got off on very much the wrong foot, Nerrida--” The younger woman stopped so suddenly, her momentum almost sent her toppling over.

“You are still on the wrong foot. That's _not_ my name.”

“Nerrida--”

 

“There you go again! Stop doing that! Stop calling me that!” Dark eyes narrowed as he regarded her with something hovering on the border of anger and exasperation.

“That is your name.”

“ _Was._ _Was_ my name, over a decade ago. Back when I was still a princess of Hoshido--”

“You _are_ a princess of Hoshido!” Ryouma's voice grew louder, perhaps too loud for their current location, but he clearly did not care, and neither did Nerr, who was not one to let herself be out-shouted.

 

“Don't tell me what I am, Ryoma Sama! You don't know me! I am not a child to be fought over by squabbling parents. _I_ decide what kingdom I call home, and who I call my family. And as long as you keep acting like this, it's _not_ going to be you.” He flinched at her words, as though she had physically struck him. Honestly, getting that off her chest felt better than socking her fist in his gut ever could. It had taken months apart and half a war, but she finally managed to articulate what she should have told him those first horrid days she was trapped in Hoshido. His expression quickly formed a calm, stoic mask once more, any lingering emotion he still felt buried far enough beneath the surface that _she_ couldn't see them.

 

“...is that how you truly feel?”

“Does it truly surprise you that a person can change in fifteen years? That a child can grow up and have their own life outside of you?” He looked away from her, and for a split second, she was certain she saw something akin to sorrow flit through his eyes.

“I suppose I've never had to think about it until now. Our father died when we were all so young... From that moment, I became the de facto patriarch of our family. I watched our siblings grow up, from whimpering children to capable adults, and not once did they try to break away from me.” He glanced at her, his lips pressed together into a thin line. “All I ever wanted was for our family to be complete again. For us to be happy, the way we were meant to be.”

“An admirable dream, except for when you tore _my_ family apart and trampled all over _my_ happiness to do so.” Nerr began walking again, expecting to hear Ryouma's steps beside her, but they didn't come. When he called out to her, his voice was quiet; both far away and much more subdued than she expected from the hot-headed Hoshidan.

 

“Does your mother's wish mean nothing to you?” ...damn him. He was trying to go straight for the crux of her emotions, and it was working. Stopping, the Norhian princess turned on her heel to face her blood brother, meeting his eyes. He asked her a heartfelt question, she could see that clear as day on his face. He deserved a heartfelt answer.

“No. A stranger's wish means nothing to me when it comes at the cost of my life.” Her life, her happiness, all she'd ever known. That was the price Mikoto intended her to pay. The samurai gaped at her for a long moment before laughing, a breathless, humorless huff of air that he seemed unable to stop.

“...you know... after seeing you speak so kindly to that boy, I had thought for a moment that you were actually... nice.” Nerr's lip curled at once.

 

“Oh, fuck off, Ryouma; I'm the nicest person you'll ever meet!” She turned in a huff and stomped her way to the others. The nerve of him, the absolute _gall_ ; she was nice. She just wasn't stupid. She was far too smart to be manipulated by such an easy tactic. In fact, the sooner Hoshido's new ruler realized she was smarter than he would ever be, the better everything would be for them all.

000

 

Despite her best intentions, Ryouma's words stuck with her as they made their way to the next island. Not so much his attempting to shame her into falling in line with their mother's wishes as his audacity in trying to claim that she wasn't _nice_. She was putting her life on the line to save their world, which in case he forgot, also included his beloved Hoshido. Perhaps that was why the shadows in her nightmares looked more... eastern than they usually did. She could see lacquered armor from the corners of her eyes as she ran over battlefields long since quiet, cutting her feet on distinctively curved blades as she tried to reach the edge of the chasm. Every night, she got closer, her fingers always able to brush against the pristine livery before it fell away from her, reduced to ash just as her fingers and face met the same fate. There was no rest to be had at night, which found her sleeping less and wandering around their makeshift camp more.

 

More than once, Nerr came across a heartening scene, like Sakura and Elise whispering quite amicably, or Takumi and Leo... not arguing. Considering that both young princes had rather... abrasive personalities, anything short of them trying to murder one another might as well have been considered friendship. Sadly, not everything she spied put her harried nerves at ease. With the edge of their island in sight, another with the remnants of a very high wall in pieces around it less than a mile away, the draconic princess wasn't surprised to see Xander and Camilla surveying their destination. In the still night air, their quiet voices carried far enough, plenty loud for her to hear as she knelt in the shadows behind a collapsed well.

 

“--you don't think the Hoshidans are planning anything, do you?”

“Of course not. And even if they were, what could they hope to do against us? No...” The crown prince sighed. Even from this distance, Nerr could practically hear him grinding his teeth. “Their actions aren't what worry me. Those months she spent in Hoshido have made Nerr far too soft. The sister I know would never blindly take the word of some random peasant child in enemy territory.”

 

“ _Really?_ Because that sounds _exactly_ like something she would do.” She was turned away, facing their brother, but Nerr could hear the smile in Camilla's voice, a smile starkly contrasted by Xander's deep scowl.

“You insult her intelligence, sister. You insult us all to think such behavior isn't cause for concern. I know not if the Hoshidans are behind this, nor do I care. The only thing I do know is that there is no way this isn't a trap we're being led into.” The eldest princess of Nohr wrung her hands as she looked out over the misty sky below them.

“So what do you suggest we do? What of that boy?”

 

“To hell with him! He's probably one of Anankos' spies- maybe Iago is as well. Maybe he has the same... plague this boy does and he's infecting all the castle. Who can know at this point? We can cross to the next island, but _none_ of us will step foot in that... whatever it is. We can let the Hoshidans test it, if they're so inclined. But I'll be damned if I let any of you fall victim to whatever this beast has in store for us.” Camilla laughed softly, no humor or joy in the sound.

“A few months ago, you were saying that by this time, you fully expected your little princess to be giving orders. Now, you're telling me we shouldn't follow them.”

“Can a man not admit he was wrong?” Nerr physically bit her tongue to keep from shouting out just how wrong he was. The pain made her eyes water, though her throat burned and tightened with anger and disappointment. As quietly as she could, the princess crawled away, keeping low to the ground and in the shadows.

 

To hear so little confidence from Xander... She expected that from Ryouma. Even if Leo or Takumi doubted her, she could just brush them off, but for someone who once believed so deeply in her to now admit that such belief was misplaced... Well, of course he did, her mind rationalized to itself as she crept closer to their camp. They just arrived in Valla and already, one of their number was dead. _TH_ _AT_ was what he saw of her leadership _..._ Thank the gods he hadn't seen the disaster in Mokushuu... ' _No..._ ' She thought angrily. ' _No, I'm not stupid, and I_ _a_ _m not soft. I'm doing the right thing...!'_ There would be no more horrible accidents. Anankos wouldn't hurt anyone else, she would make damn sure of that.

000

 

Unlike some of the other islands, there _were_ Dragon Veins scattered throughout this one. Perhaps the increased flow of magic in the land explained why it seemed more intact than the other areas they had been to. Two of them only brought water burbling back up into long dry riverbeds, though where such a river could lead was as depressing as it was pointless. The last, thank the gods, seemed to attract the smaller nearby islands, the magic current dragging them into an almost neat line.

 

“Well, that's helpful! It looks like this hellhole is finally cooperating with us.” Selena noted with a smile that somehow managed to look haughty even when her face was wan and filthy. Xander scowled at the bridge, as though it had personally wronged him.

“Yes. Almost as though it _wants_ us to go this way...”

“Considering this is the way _we_ want to go as well, I'm grateful our desires are aligned.” Nerr practically sneered, earning a baffled look from the prince. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason for her hostility. Pushing past him, she stepped onto the first new stone. Immediately, her legs stiffened, locking her in place as she fought to take another step forward. ' _You're a_ _manakete_ _. You have wings...'_ She told herself, repeating Hinoka's words over and over in her mind. Even as she gripped the stone at her waist tightly, it still took all her willpower to take another step. Once she was a good yard or so, she turned back towards the others, regretting it at once as the world seemed to spin around her. “Well? Anankos isn't going to kill himself.”

 

At the dragon's name, Ant immediately cowed, covering his ears as though her words might summon him. Camilla looked down at him, her lip curling even as her brows furrowed. The glance she shot Xander was barely long enough for anyone to notice if they didn't know to look for it. She took a step _away_ from the bridge.

 

“I don't think I'm comfortable going somewhere our _guide_ doesn't seem to think is safe, dearest.”

“Oh, for the love of...” Nerr stomped back down to fully solid ground, her steps a bit too fast for someone afraid of falling, but her anger far outweighing her caution. “Of course it's not 'safe', Camilla! That's the point! We're going _towards_ the thing everyone else is running away from! We told you it was dangerous from the start! It's not a trap when you're seeking it out, _Xander!”_ The prince flinched at her harsh tone, and he was not the only one. Ant, already trembling like a leaf, had taken several steps back towards the ruined village before she caught up with him, grabbing his uninfected arm and trying to keep her grip from hurting him as he struggled to pull away. “Ant--”

 

“No!”

“You don't have to be afraid--”

“No!”

“Anankos isn't there!”

“NO!”

“No _what?!_ ”

“Nooo!” He cried, going limp as he realized his efforts to claw at her gauntlet with his bare hand weren't going to accomplish anything. If she wasn't used to Elise throwing tantrums in a similar fashion, she may have lost her temper. Instead, Nerr inhaled deeply, wishing the stabbing in her temples would ease up.

 

“Ant. Listen to me. Anankos isn't here. He can't hurt you. He's in the capital. Right? You said that's where he is.” The boy nodded weakly. “So there isn't anything to be afraid of here, right?”

“He's everywhere...”

“But... _physically_ he's not here, right?” Shura asked slowly.

“No...”

“So let us stop burning daylight and carry on.” Gunther, who had been lingering near the edge of the village, moved forward, taking the first step onto the path. “The watchful eyes of the gods hasn't frightened anyone until this moment.”

 

“What if we're being led into a trap?” Xander asked harshly. The old knight met his gaze with one that dripped with barely concealed contempt.

“What if the sky turns to fire and your nose falls off? If being led into a trap not set by your lord father is too frightening for you, perhaps it would be best if you remain here, milord. I will scout ahead, and await you at your leisure, Nerr.” Xander's hands clenched at his sides as he glared at the retreating figure, as though he could already imagine them wrapped around his throat. Azura quickly followed, taking several steps before pausing. She turned, one hand clutching her pendant as the other pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

 

“Prince Xander...” He looked away from her, clearly chewing his words. “We've come _this_ far, and you didn't doubt our path. This... fear you feel... This is Anankos. This is what he wants. He _wants_ you to be afraid, too afraid to challenge him.”

“I am not afraid. The Nohrian royal family fears nothing. But neither am I stupid.” A quiet scoff quickly drew his ire as Takumi stepped forward, pausing to mutter under his breath at the prince (though loud enough for their small group to still hear).

“Considering your blind loyalty to a man who murdered a city square full of civilians, I wouldn't exactly call you 'smart', either.”

 

“You insolent--!”

“That is enough!” Ryouma dashed forward, pulling his brother away from the older man. “Takumi, nothing will be achieved by antagonizing the Nohrians. They are our allies in this, lest you forget. Go on.” He gave the boy a slight push in Azura's direction, only letting out the breath he held when he was on the bridge. “And Prince Xander, I suggest you work harder to keep a clear mind. I believe more and more that Azura's claim of Anankos' influence is correct, as I would be sorely disappointed to discover you are truly the kind of man who would attack a child over an insult.” He looked pointedly at Xander's hand, which was poised just over Siegfried's hilt. The blonde man stared at it as well, his eyes wide, face pale. He quickly lowered it, pressing both hands to his faulds as though worried they might move on their own.

 

“No. No, of course not. I would never... My sincerest apologies, Lord Ryouma.” The Hoshidan emperor said nothing, simply nodded even though his eyes remained hard. The others seemed swayed to follow those that crossed to the other island, perhaps afraid that whatever presence was on this one would get to them as well. Sakura flew across with Hinoka, and Camilla, despite her half-hearted protests earlier, mounted her wyvern, deciding this gap was small enough to test how well Theodorus' wing had healed. The moment those tattered wings began flapping, Nerr felt her stomach drop. She could just see them giving out halfway over the abyss, plunging both wyvern and rider into the gray nothing below. She couldn't bear to look, turning her whole body away.

 

To distract herself from the whooshing behind her, she knelt beside the boy who's arm she still held. Ant seemed to decide standing was too much effort and had sat on the cold earth, rubbing his dripping nose and teary eyes. At times like this, it was easy to see that he was really just very a young, very scared child. How could Xander even _think_ there was some nefarious scheme going on in this boy's head? Looking for a relatively clean corner of her cape, Nerr dabbed his eyes as best she could, trying to ignore the pus running down his left cheek, mixing with the tears there.

 

“There there... there's nothing to be afraid of. Do you see?” She pointed to the bridge, where the others had all begun crossing, with Xander riding at the rear. “They all realized there's nothing that's going to hurt them.”

“That's different! They all have weapons! They can fight! I can't! I couldn't do anything when mom and dad fell down! Anankos sent his soldiers and they made them fall down and I just hid!” The tears, which had begun to slow, fell faster and thicker now, interspersed with piteous whimpers. A sympathetic pang merged easily into the simmering anger that had been brewing in her gut for days. Her voice remained quiet and even, though.

“Maybe you don't have a weapon. But _I_ do.” Finally releasing the Vallite boy, Nerr unsheathed the Yato, it's pale blue glow reminiscent of Hoshido's sky. Even that was a damn sight better than the unchanging gray that mired them. It seemed to distract Ant from his misery, at least for the moment.

 

“It's big...”

“I use it to kill monsters. And as long as you stay close to me, no monsters can get to you either.” Pushing herself to her feet, the princess pulled the boy to his. “We'll go across together, okay? That way, you'll be safe.” Still clearly hesitant, Ant nodded. He immediately grabbed her hand, clutching it tightly. Nerr gave his a small squeeze in return, leading him to the bridge. She kept the Yato aloft as they crossed, the golden blade giving her something to keep her eyes focused on. Of course, they still strayed, still drifted to the open sides of their path and the emptiness that lay below her. They walked for a long time in silence, as Nerr's thoughts chased each other around her mind. It took quite a while for her to decide how to say what she wanted to.

 

“Ant?” The boy made a noncommittal noise. “Do you remember the path you took under that temple to get from the capital?”

“Mmh hmm. It was dark. And wet. But I got out.”

“Good. That's good. ...listen. While we're getting to the temple, I need you to focus on remembering the exact path, okay? Try to remember every twist and turn you took so you can show us the exact way when we get there.”

“I... okay...” He didn't seem very happy to give more thought to his escape than he already had, but in all fairness, no one in this wretched land was happy to think about it. None but Azura, perhaps, and even then, it was only the Valla in her memories that gave her any semblance of joy.

000

 

The crumbling wall looming over them didn't have much to keep safe from the outside. There was little more than an empty field between it and the overgrown temple a good mile away. Even from this distance, Nerr could see that the blackened stone had been almost completely overtaken by green. It was easier to think that nature had simply begun to reclaim it's territoryrather than whatever horrors might have once graced any visitors. As they made their way closer, the ground, which had looked even from a distance, proved to be full of dips and mounds. More than once, Nerr was certain she saw a root sticking out of the ground that looked too discolored and oddly shaped to come from any plant. The horses picked slowly over the thick green carpet, and even that proved to be in vain as one of Asmodeus' hooves sank into what looked like solid ground, the horse stumbling hard and nearly throwing Xander.

 

“Gods above!” The prince exclaimed, quickly hopping out of his saddle and attempting to free his steed. “What in all the hells...?” As he dug around in the earth to widen the hole enough for his horse to pull his hoof free, the Nohrian man pulled forth a yellowed bone, dirt still clinging to it's curved surface.

“...we _are_ close to a church of sorts. Perhaps this is a graveyard?” Ever the voice of reason, Leo's voice remained calm and even. Xander shook his head as he carefully replaced what looked to be a rib into the earth.

“This is far too shallow to be a proper grave. And even if it were a hastily dug pit grave, I thought the dead turned into moss? Or those... creatures... in this place?” He glanced towards Azura, who despite watching the scene unfold with something approaching nausea, quickly adjusted her expression into it's usual stoicism.

 

“They didn't always. As far as I know, Anankos only began reviving the dead after I was born.”

“So... this is a mass grave of normal people who _weren't_ killed by an angry god, but all died under your, what, mother's rule all the same?” Shura asked sardonically. The singer glared at him, her eyes flashing.

“So what if they did? Maybe there was a plague, or a famine. There was nothing she could do about those kinds of things. Exalt or not, my mother was human; she couldn't save everyone from everything. You can't blame a ruler for everything bad that happens to you. Well, perhaps _you_ can, but I expect little more from a two-bit brigand.” The Kougan man drew back, affronted by her harsh words (or perhaps more so by the fact that the normally non-confrontational singer actually had a retort). Worried another argument might be brewing, Nerr stepped forward, only to be beaten to the punch by Hinoka, who had already rushed to Azura's side.

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, calm down.”

“He's talking about my mother!”

“Even so, this isn't like you. Aren't you the one who's been warning everyone not so succumb to Anankos' mind tricks?”

“I'm not--!” The singer sighed deeply, her entire body slumping as though she were suddenly drained of all her energy. “Oh gods, I think you're right. I'm sorry...” It didn't go unnoticed that she didn't exactly look at Shura as she apologized. Sakura crept forward, half afraid of another outburst, half worried about stepping in another grave if her steps were anything to judge by.

 

“M-maybe we should make camp for the day. W-we're already here, we don't h-have to go inside yet... do we?”

“No. That's a very good idea, Sakura.” Ryouma smiled reassuringly at his youngest sibling. “The last thing we want while exploring a potentially dangerous place is for our tempers to have us at one another's throats. Hopefully with enough rest, Anankos' influence will wane.”

 

They spread out, searching for kindling as well as combing the area for any traces of enemies. There were no signs of creatures lurking in the darkness, but given their penchant for appearing seemingly out of nowhere, that wasn't much of a reassurance. As she crept around the shadow of the temple with Azura, Nerr couldn't help her eyes being drawn up to it's spires. From a distance, it had seemed middling in size, but standing at it's base, she felt tiny in comparison to it's buttresses. Vines, some as thick as her arms, snaked across it's weathered exterior. Larges bunches of flowers hung like grapes in the shadows of dense leaves, the air around them almost nauseatingly sweet. Something lightly scritched against her pauldron, and the princess glanced hesitantly towards it, the tension in her neck easing ever so slightly as she noticed the desiccated vine creeping towards her.

 

“Azura, so help me if you touch me with that, I'll jam it in your eye socket.”

“Sorry.” The singer lowered the vine, one of many she had picked off the ground to fuel their camp fires. “I used to do that Sakura. She'd jump a foot into the air.” She smiled warmly at the memory.

“...do you like scaring people?”

“No... but yes. It's a foolish thing to do when everyone is already on such high alert, I know, but...” The Vallite princess sighed, her gaze also drawn up to the temples spires, black obelisks against the pale blue sky. “It was always something of a release for me. To be scared of something, only to see that it wasn't anything serious. It relaxed me, in a way.” Nerr's lips thinned as she pressed them together.

 

“You know that was probably a _person_ you're trying to prank me with, right?” The blunette rolled her eyes hard.

“Not everything in Valla is people, Nerr. Sometimes a plant is just a plant. Wisteria grow around the castle in Gyges, and have long before Anankos started killing anyone. You're making yourself more paranoid than you need to be.” Perhaps she was right. Ever since her first stint in Valla, the Nohrian princess had been unable to shake the thought that everything she laid eyes on was the remnant of some horrid massacre. However, unless the hidden kingdom had a population greater than Nohr and Hoshido combined, that simply wasn't feasible.

 

“I suppose... Seeing so many things growing still seems unnatural to me. I don't think I'll every truly get used to it--” She was cut off mid-sentence as the broken end of the vine snaked over her cheeks, just enough pressure to make her stomach dip and her skin crawl in an attempt to flee. “I'm gonna stab you in the fucking eye, Azura!!” The singer cackled, what must have sounded like an innocent giggle to anyone else, taking off back towards their camp. Nerr attempted to pursue, but Azura was much more adept at maneuvering across lush ground. Where as her prey bounded over the grass and rocks with practiced ease, Nerr's feet quickly found the thick, half concealed roots branching from the wisteria's base.

 

Despite managing to catch herself, the fall was enough to knock the wind out of the princess, and she resigned herself to laying there for a moment, groaning as new bruises began forming beneath her armor. Closing her eyes, the heady smell of flowers and damp soil and grass filling her with each inhale, a sudden whiff of mildew immediately raised her hackles. She was so used to that smell signaling a battle that her hand went to her side before she realized there was no drawing her blade in this position. Fortunately for her, there was no gurgling or shrieks that preluded an attack. Just that faint, musty smell of dungeons long untouched by sunlight. A strange thing amidst the otherwise fresh scents of nature. Opening her eyes, Nerr crawled closer to the temple, where the smell was clearly coming from. The closer she got to the undergrowth behind the church, the stronger it became. Pulling away the tight branches that obscured her view, she noticed a distinct gap in the masonry, where the moss that coated everything had been disturbed.

 

“Nerr.” She nearly jumped out of her skin, turning around to see Gunther standing behind her, his brows knit in confusion. “What are you doing back here?”

“I thought I heard something.”

“And...?” She shook her head.

“Must just be the foundation creaking. Like in the Citadel.” The knight sighed.

 

“Every day, I thought that death trap would come crumbling down on our heads...” He muttered to himself. While he seemed lost in his thoughts, Nerr rolled over onto her back, hoping that perhaps she could scooch away without being noticed. “--anything like the Citadel, half the rooms will be flooded, and is there a reason you're trying to escape without me noticing, my little ladyship?” She cringed. She'd almost passed his boots but now froze, like a child caught creeping around after their bed time.

“No. I just--”

“Is it perhaps the same reason you're out here by your lonesome, despite knowing how dangerous it is?”

 

“No!” The princess sat up, pushing herself to her feet. Despite her best efforts to stand tall, she was becoming ever more aware of just how small she was, staring up at her retainer with twigs in her hair and dirt clinging to her armor. Her eyes burned as she fought the urge to shrink back. “There's no... _reason_. I'm patrolling. You should be proud that I'm taking initiative!”

“...so this has nothing to do with Prince Xander's stance that you're a little fool who has no idea what you're doing?” Gunther's eyes looked black in the shadows of the temple. Faced with anyone else, Nerr was certain she wouldn't have reacted, but under that dark gaze, she flinched.

 

“Wh-what are you talking about? He's never said--”

“He doesn't need to _say_ , my lady. His blatant challenging of your authority screams loud and clear the things he's too craven to admit to your face. Even now, I've overheard him whispering to your siblings that he has no intention of allowing them to follow you into this 'trap'.” She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes, but all that happened was the tears welling in them falling faster. It was one thing for Xander to voice his doubts to Camilla in the dead of night, but quite another for him to turn Leo and Elise against her.

 

“He won't let them into this trap, but he let me walk into Garon's trap without so much as a word... I thought he trusted me. That was why he came to the Chasm... He won't even give me the same benefit of the doubt he gives his asshole father!!” Gunther drew her into a warm embrace as she sputtered on her tears.

“There there, my lady. Maybe... Perhaps it's as Lady Azura says, that this is somehow just Anankos' influence, this distrust? If he were in his right mind, I doubt he'd say such things.”

“But he'd still think them! That's even worse!” She pulled away from her betrothed, anger kindling amidst her misery. “That means that deep down, he's _never_ trusted me! He was supposed to help me. He was supposed to be on my side!” The older man gripped her shoulders lightly, speaking softly.

 

“Has he been helping you all this time? Has he been on your side these past months while you toiled to save _his_ kingdom?” She shook her head mutely, keeping her gaze locked to their feet. “And yet you accomplished everything you set out to do and more. ...I worry for you, Nerr. I worry that, in trying to impress that jackanapes, you might do something foolish. Just put him from your mind, dearest. Now then, come back to the camp.” He put his arm around her shoulders, leading her back to the clearing. Nerr followed him mutely for a moment, her thoughts muddled. Impress him, impress her brother, the standard to which she held herself. Was that not what she'd been doing all these long years? All to no avail? After a long moment of silence, she glanced up to him.

“ _You_ trust that I know what I'm doing, right?” Gunther smiled down at her. Despite the dark circles under his eyes and scars that looked so much more severe in the gloom, his expression was one of warmth and gentleness.

“Of course, darling. I've known you for fifteen years. If anyone can kill a god, it would be you.” He lightly kissed the top of her head. “You cheat death almost as well I as do.” It was a grim thing to feel proud about, but in her current state, Nerr would cling to any praise she could. If Xander wanted someone to test for traps, he would get it.

000

 

What few glimpses of sky were visible through the thick blanket of clouds gave no solid indication of the time. Many of them rippled with stars against an inky backdrop, but just as many, well off in the distance, showed blue skies. The shadow of the temple darkened their camp more than the sky. The only reason one would call it night was the fact that most of their small number had already dozed off. Perhaps whatever benevolent spirits still lingered around these holy grounds gave them some peace of mind. Nerr wished it would do the same for her. Still donning full armor in the relatively mild weather, the roaring fire proved too much for her. She sat a ways away from the others, her back pressed against a slightly tilted monument, informing them that she would take the first watch and the flames would only lull her to sleep.

 

The carved stone behind her was more lichen than rock, but given how old it looked, she doubted for once that Anankos had played a part in this growth. His role was evident in the bitterness and resentment stewing inside her, though, for as much as she tried to tell herself that she was being irrational, too overwhelming a voice in her head responded with _'No, I'm not!'_ If Xander didn't trust her judgment on something as simple as what route to follow, how would he follow her into the literal dragon's den? What if- not if, _when-_ that doubt spread to the others? What when they decided that this was a fools' errand and their best course of action was returning to their respective kingdoms to wait out any Vallite attack? Where would she go then?

 

And on and on those thoughts chased themselves around her mind, leaving her with no answers and a blasting migraine. Did the first _“Chosen One”,_ the one the Rainbow Sage originally forged the Yato for, get bogged down with thoughts like this too, she wondered? No, probably not. It was impossible to imagine some raidant hero chosen by a power on high to strike fear into the gods being so uncertain. They'd clearly made a mistake in “choosing” her. She was just a stupid child who consistently found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and good lord, was it any wonder Xander didn't trust her as far as he could spit? The look on his face if he could hear what was going through her head! _'He's right... I'm proving him right...!'_

 

“Gods, get out of my fucking head....!” She hissed viciously to herself, absolutely certain Anankos could hear her. His eyes were everywhere; his ears would be, too.

“Mnngh, who're you talking to?” Nerr let out the breath she'd been holding when she saw Ant dragging his feet towards her, though it did little to still her pounding heart.

“What? No one.”

“It's _Him_ , isn't it? Anankos. You can feel him, can't you?” Her blood chilled at his words, but she made sure to keep her expression nonchalant.

 

“What are you talking about, Ant?”

“He's here. He sees us. He knows why we're here, we shouldn't be here....” The Vallite boy wrapped his arms tightly around himself, rocking ever more violently with every word. Wide, manic eyes darted around, as though he were expecting the mad dragon to leap out from any of the shadows around them. Nerr shook her head.

 

“No, this is exactly where we should be. Anankos is doing this because he's afraid, he _knows_ his days are numbered.” She took the boy's unmarred hand in both of hers, covering it completely. It was a strange sensation; normally, her hands were too small to cover anything. “Don't you want to stop running, Ant? Don't you want to not have to be afraid all the time?” He nodded, his lip trembling. “Then trust me.”

 

It was small, a gradual thing, but he slowly stopped shivering so violently, his eyes focusing more on her than the darkness around them. Gods, if only it could be so easy with adults. Pushing that thought from her mind, Nerr smiled at him, patting the ground beside her and inviting him to sit. He did, leaning against her immediately with the unselfconscious disregard for personal space that only children could manage. Through the flames, she was _certain_ she could see Xander's lips purse into a disgusted pout as he glanced in her direction, and it took all the maturity she had to not make a rude gesture in return.

 

“Ant? Did you remember the path you took to get out here?”

“Kind of. It kinda... looped around. I went up some stairs and around. There were a lot of rooms, but I was running too fast to pay attention to them.”

“I see.” There was much more she wanted to ask, but she decided not to press him, at least for the time being.

 

A few hours passed, the remaining stragglers finally laying down, their breathing evening out. Nerr kept herself busy polishing the Yato, it's faint glow burning her eyes but doing a hell of a job preventing sleep. Despite wiping it down after every battle, fine moss and tiny sprouts were still creeping outwards from the crevasses in the blade's embossments. Only when every trace of viscera was removed did the Nohrian princess return the sword to it's sheathe. The immediate darkness was a balm on her eyes, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief, before turning to the boy fast asleep at her hip.

 

“Ant. Wake up, Ant.” There was no response until she shook him gently, and even then he only grumbled and swatted her hand away. “Wake up, boy.” He opened his eyes with a miserable whine.

“ _What?”_

“It's time for you to show me the path you took.” He looked up at her with a gormless stare, turning his tired gaze to the sky before letting it wander around the camp.

“ 's still night time.” His words turned into a giant yawn halfway. “And everyone's sleeping.”

“I know. That's why we need to go now.” She climbed to her feet, quickly pulling the Vallite to his before he could lay back down. Still drowsy, Ant could only drag his feet behind her as she led him to the back of the temple, giving the others a wide berth.

 

“Wh... Where're we going?” The purple flowers had closed, the air far less sweet as a result. She could smell the damp stronger now. Pushing aside the bushes as best she could, she waited for Ant to pass through before following, stopping before the crack in the wall.

“This is it, isn't it? The entrance to those tunnels?” The boy whined, a high pitched sound like a frightened dog would make as he tried to back away, but Nerr was having none of it. She grabbed his shoulder before he could escape. “We're not going to go far. I just need to make sure we can get through.”

“Wh-what about the others? I don't-- I don't wanna go in there alone!”

“You're _not._ I'm here with you.”

 

“But--” She gripped him tighter, fully aware that her gauntlets must have been causing him pain.

“The others don't trust you, Ant. They think you're leading them into a trap, and they think _I'm_ crazy for trusting you. Am I crazy? Are you leading us into a trap?” He shook his head vigorously, eyes bright with unshed tears. “Then prove it. Take me in there. If it was safe enough for you to pass through unharmed by yourself, nothing's going to hurt you while I'm around.” Sniffling, he nodded, though his apparent trust in her did nothing to quell the tears leaking from his eyes. He pointed to the wall where the crack was.

 

“That-- I pushed that open. I don't know how to open it from this side.”

“I'll figure something out.” Assuring herself that he wasn't going to run off the moment she unhanded him, Nerr released the Vallite boy and approached the mostly concealed entrance. There was just enough of a gap for her to work her fingers into. It took a bit of elbow grease, but she finally managed to pry open a gap just large enough to squeeze through. For a moment, she wondered how a small child could open such a heavy door, but quickly realized that it would undoubtedly be easier to open while pushing than pulling. She turned towards her guide, nodding towards the pitch black inside.

 

“Come on. I'll be right beside you, I promise.” It was with extreme reluctance that he took that first step forward. Once Ant had cleared the threshold, Nerr quickly slipped in behind him. Her eyes, long accustomed to such darkness, adjusted quickly enough, but she drew her sword nonetheless. While not nearly as bright as one of Odin or Elise's will-o-wisps spells, the glowing stones provided more than enough light to see by. They had entered a small hallway that led to stairs going down. It looked almost exactly like the corridor leading to the dungeons-turned-cellars in the Citadel, enough that Nerr felt the tension leave her shoulders.

“Well, this isn't so bad. Right?” The boy shook his head, tears and snot dripping down his face. Sighing, the Nohrian girl wiped his cheeks before taking his hand and leading him down the stairs. While the basic layout was familiar enough, she did not let her guard down. She strained her ears for the slightest creak or groan that could have been out of place, every step slow and calculated.

 

Her hyper vigilance, coupled with a lack of sleep, only worsened her headache. The stabbing pain in her temples enough to make her nauseous. But as soon as she was certain the path was clear, or at the least not lined with booby traps, she could return to camp and perhaps sleep well for the first time in days. The staircase seemed to go on forever, the air growing colder and wetter the further down they went. It wasn't until the incline gave way to a flat stretch of ground once more that Nerr realized just how unpleasant a place this was. The Yato's light glistened across the walls, slick with condensation and mildew. In the distance, she could see the faint flicker of a sconce-mounted torch, the magic it burned with casting a violet glow in that section of corridor. Swallowing the saliva building up in her mouth, she squeezed Ant's hand.

 

“You remember this part, right? Do we just go straight, or do we have to turn?” There was only silence. “Ant? Come on, buddy, you told me you remembered which way to go.” She frowned slightly as the cold, wet floor suddenly grew warmer. The dripping she had assumed was coming from the condensation running down the walls was in fact collecting in a puddle at his feet as he shook violently.

“I don't wanna be here.” He sniveled, tears falling thickly as he looked up at her, eyes wide in terror. “I wanna go!”

“We'll go back in a few minutes. I just need to make sure the path ahead is clear.”

“But--!!”

“But nothing! You'll be fine. If anything jumps out at you, I'll kill it!” Flinching at her strong tone, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, to little affect.

 

Keeping her sword at the ready, Nerr found herself guiding her supposed guide, eyes and ears straining to detect the slightest clue that anything was out of place. She didn't know what she was expecting; trip wires, poison arrows, massive swinging axes? In a temple cellar? Surely not, but she couldn't risk taking any chances, not when _Xander_ was so wary. Her eyes itched and burned as she furiously searched for any nooks that might suggest hidden projectiles or any chains that might have been attached to something heavy that could come swinging down to take her head off. But there was nothing, nothing remotely out of the ordinary, save for the strange floor. She hadn't even noticed until they approached the only lit section of the hall, but the solid stone floor had given way to tiles. She wouldn't have even noticed the difference had her unfortunate toenail not scraped away some of the ancient grime, revealing a distinctly red tint beneath the blackish green slime.

 

It felt like they had been walking an eternity when they finally came to another threshold. Nerr held Ant back (not that he needed any excuse to stop walking), adjusting her grip on the Yato's hilt as she peered around the corner. She could feel her heart pounding in her eyes, her entire head a drum that was being struck far too hard and out of rhythm. There was nothing in the gloom, no sounds beyond her own breathing which sounded much louder than usual and Ant's constant sniffling. Were she a crueler person, she'd have told him to shut up. As it was, she only thought it. After a minute that surely must have lasted an hour, she turned her attention back to the boy behind her, who was leaning heavily against the wall, holding his head as he rocked.

 

“This is where you turned, right? What's past here?” His silence was beginning to grate on her nerves as much as his sniveling. “Ant!”

“I don't know. I don't care! My stomach hurts!” Frustration and an slowly growing unease were beginning to have the same effect on her. Reaching into her pack, Nerr pulled out a candy wrapped in wax paper. The wrapper tore slightly, sticking to the half-melted bonbon and not helped by her trembling hands.

“Eat this.” The boy didn't even bother taking it from her, nearly biting her gauntlets as he swallowed the candy, wrapper and all (the metal plates were probably cleaner than his hands). Moaning slightly, he slumped back against the wall, eyes glazed in pain. “We'll go back in a moment, I promise. Let's just make sure this bend is safe.”

 

She took a hesitant step around the corner, priming herself to jump out of the way at the slightest rumble. All she could hear were the distant drips coming from above, below them, all around. The bluish glow emanating from her sword reflected the black mold that covered the wall, thick tendrils snaking along the brick, a corrupted facsimile of the wisteria growing on the temple's exterior. Stagnant water splashed underfoot, and behind her, she could hear the slow, sluggish steps of Ant dragging his feet. The nauseating smell of mildew and rat excrement along with her over tired, straining eyes was beginning to make her vision waver. She could have sworn she saw something move from the corner of her eye, but when she looked closer, there was nothing. Just the pounding in her head, and the light playing tricks on her. A loud moan, nearly made her jump out of her skin, but when she turned around, there was only the Vallite boy, his pace slowed to a crawl. His pained groaning was getting louder, bouncing off the walls and high ceiling. She tried to catch him as he slid down the wall, pressing his head against the filthy floor.

 

“Ant, get up!”

“I wanna go home!”

“We'll go back--” A low growl echoed somewhere in the darkness, leaving Nerr stuck between tending to the sobbing boy and venturing ahead to get the jump on whatever was down there with them. She didn't have much choice in the matter as something scurried from further down the hall, it's movements erratic. She positioned herself between it, whatever it was, and the boy, preparing for a lance or even an arrow to strike from the darkness. A monstrous screech was all the prefaced the creature breaking into a run.

 

Closer and closer it came, scuttling along the ground like a spider, limbs as long as its entire body, and far too many besides, hunching up as it prepared to lunge at her. She braced herself for impact as it took to the air with a piercing howl only to break apart before reaching her. Nerr nearly tripped over Ant, who had not so much as budged, trying to avoid the perceived attack. But it wasn't. Those limbs- why were there so many?- weren't reaching for her. They went flying, hitting the walls and bursting like bubbles as the creature flopped onto the ground a few feet away from her. Without it's limbs, it looked like a great slug, wriggling towards her, still growling. Were it not for the vaguely humanoid shape of the head and torso, she wouldn't have ever assumed the thing had once been a person to begin with.

 

For a moment, she could do nothing but stare, trying and failing to process what trickery this was, but despite only vestigial stumps reforming along it's sides, it managed to lunge at her, latching onto her greave with an abnormally strong jaw. Immediately, she drove her sword into it's back, hacking at it's skull, the watery membrane not giving in as much as it usually did. It took several determined stabs before the beast finally shuddered and collapsed into a foul-smelling puddle.

 

“Ant, what the fuck is this thing?! Why did it do that?!” The boy only curled into himself, his moans now full blown weeping. “ _Answer me!!”_ Her only answer was louder sobs and the stabbing behind her eyes growing so intense as to blind her momentarily. He would be no help, not anymore. Nerr dragged herself to where she thought she saw the beast rupture, heart seizing in her chest as she drew nearer. Gods, if something could do that to Anankos' monsters, what in the hell would it do to them?

 

She didn't _see_ anything, no wires or weapons or even the mark of some magical talisman. The closest thing to odd in this horror show she'd wandered into was the floor. Just as before, it seemed to be made of different materials on either side of the threshold. She scraped away years of caked filth, revealing that the section they stood in was darker than the next, blue to the next stretch's red. Maybe this place held some kind of illusory enchantment, just like the Sevenfold Sanctuary. Her thought, muddled as they were, were interrupted by the sudden cacophony of noise driving into her ears like pikes. Growls and gurgles seemed to be pressing in from all sides, barely audible over the pressure numbing her ears and the ever-more hysterical sobs coming from behind her.

 

“Mercy, mercy, have mercy, have-- I'm sorry, Anankos! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have left!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!” Ant's panicked cries were cut off by a violent retch. Nerr turned just in time to see him gag on a thick, dark slime that looked nearly identical to the viscous liquid the undead seemed to be comprised of. But while they didn't react to their insides rupturing, being long dead, the young boy clearly felt everything. He screamed, writhing and thrashing as his skin blistered, thick pale shoots pushing their way through the surface. She took a step closer, desperate to help without any idea as to what she could do, only to recoil as he vomited once more. “Mommy! Mommy, help me!!”

 

He choked as moss filled his mouth, growing over his lips and closing his throat. He reached out to Nerr weakly with his overgrown arm, what little skin was left there sloughing off, hitting the ground with soft splats. He couldn't see her, that much she was certain of, not with his eyes crusting over as he gasped for breath. Couldn't see the way she recoiled in fear, in disgust. Rapid steps came from both sides of the hall, closing in on her. They were louder from behind, but wetter from ahead. Just as she'd made up her mind to take her chances going back, something metallic caught her eye as it glinted in the pale magical light. Ant jerked forward, clawing at the air for a short moment before falling into the grassy patch beneath him. Blood oozed out around the ax's blade embedded deeply within his skull, becoming minuscule blooms when it hit the filthy tiles.

 

“Nerr!” A brighter light than what her sword provided filled the corridor, shimmering drops of water dancing in the air illuminating two figures running towards her. Illuminating the sliver of skull and brain just visible through the wet, dark hair and vines starting to creep out. Gunther reached her first, pulling her behind him with one arm as he retrieved the throwing ax she was certain belonged to Camilla from where it was still lodged in the boy's skull. Had she given it to him, or had he just taken it from her saddle?

“Nerr! Gods, are you alright?” Azura finally reached her, the stone in her pendant dimming slightly as she stopped to speak. “We need to go back!” Blinking hard, the Nohrian princess shook her head.

“No... No! I-I need to clear this place out! If they see monsters in here, they'll think it's a trap!”

 

“It _is_ a trap, Nerr!” Xander's angry voice behind her was infinitely worse than the scuttling drawing closer. The prince quickly reached her, pushing her and the others aside roughly as another watery beast leapt at them. The carbuncle set deep within Siegfried's hilt shone brightly as a beam of elder magic tore through the monster, splattering it's insides across the wall. He glanced at her, unable to fully divert his attention as more scuttling approached. “Go back outside. We will seal this place off and figure out another route in the morning. Without that spy feeding you lies, we might actually be able to think of something.”

 

“No...”

“What?”

“No!” She stormed past him, her pulse pounding in her ears, pointing her sword at him as she passed. “We're going this way! It's not a trap! This is the quickest, proven route. I don't need you, Xander! I'll clear this place out myself!!” She ignored his angry yells to come back as she dashed into the shadows ahead. It _wasn't_ a trap. It _couldn't_ be. After all, the only one who was dead was... was the boy she'd dragged back here, the boy who had run this gauntlet already and thought he'd finally been free of it's horrors...

 

 _Mercy, mercy, have mercy!_ He sounded like a mewling kitten when he cried, just as helpless and pitiful. She ran, faster, faster. There was another threshold ahead, where the darkness became darker still. What color was the floor here? Was it still red? _Mommy, help me!_ The echo of Ant's frantic pleading turned her stomach, and she'd have probably vomited herself if the sudden surge of adrenaline as a snarling shadow rose from the ground didn't take hold of her. The violet flames flickering over the ground were all that differentiated the misshapen lump from the darkness surrounding. It was small, a torso too long to be human, wriggling closer like some thick, demonic worm. That was nothing, not a threat, not a trap. Maybe if she could bring it back and show Xander, _show him_ that there was nothing worse here than what they already faced, he would trust her again. The flames became brighter, stronger, without warning, as the lump writhed and grew and grew, still coming closer but quicker now.

 

It stood twice as tall as her, it's body as wide as two men. She could _see_ where the second and third and maybe fourth set of legs poked out awkwardly around it's hip region, though she barely had time to look as it brought a massive arm down on top of her. A normal human would have been crushed by the weight of the water, but her bones grew stronger, larger than a normal human's could. Thick plates blocked most of the rusted shrapnel that floated like detritus inside that watery club, large claws keeping it at bay as she ran it through again and again. With every stab, liquid sloshed onto her feet and the beast's mass decreasing slightly. It wasn't enough, however, and having both her hands occupied left her open when the creature swung another arm, water slipping from one side to the other to engorge it's fist to the size of a horse's head. Her cuirass dented under the pressure of the blow, knocking her off her feet. The floor _was_ red here, growing redder still as her nose smashed into it, pissing blood. The creature reared it's arm back like a hammer but stumbled back as the ground shook.

 

Stones cracked, forming spiderwebs both along the floor and walls as thick vines lashed out, wrapping around the monster and squeezing until it burst, the resulting deluge saturating Nerr. Panting, partially from the pain which seemed to be hitting her all at once, it took a moment before she could get her feet under her. The rhythmic clopping of shod hooves on the stone, disparate from anything she may have been expecting as it was, wasn't enough to make her turn around. The sound of Leo's voice behind her nearly spurred her into a run.

 

“Every time, sister. Every. Single. Time.Your brash _stupidity_ makes trouble for everyone else. And the worst part is, _I_ have to bail you out! Why does it always have to be _me!?_ ”

“Kindly shut your fucking trap and go back to sleep, Leo! I don't need your help! We'll go through here in the morning and it'll be safe. Just trust me!”

“We can't even trust you to keep watch! You ran off like the stupid child you are and we all had to wake up to look for you!” The younger prince trotted ahead of her, glancing back. The pages of his tome illuminated his face from beneath, exaggerating the heavy bags under his eyes. “You've already alerted whatever creatures are in here. Do you really think we can just waltz back outside and sleep all safe and sound? Are you really that _stupid?!_ The only thing we can do now is push forward and pray that there's not an army waiting for us on the other side!” Every word he spat at her bruised more than any strike from a monster, all the more hurtful for how true they were. The Yato shook in her hand, it's light jittering over the walls.

 

“...there's not... it's not... Ant said it loops around and goes further downstairs... he came through here by himself...” Her breath caught slightly at the boy's name, and she found herself glancing back. “Ant... He--”

“He's dead, and he's staying back there. We have more important things to worry about than dragging a corpse with us.” Leo's words were cold and harsh, and Nerr had to fight the immediate urge to argue with him. What leg did she have to stand on when her own cold, harsh attitude was what killed the boy in the first place? Her eyes burned, but she blinked rapidly to clear them. More and more footsteps echoed behind her, none of them wet enough to belong to a monster, but that veritable stampede creeping up to her back was just as unnerving as it would have been had they belonged to Anankos' monstrosities.

 

The halls were as she expected. No traps. Creatures scuttled through the darkness and lumbered towards them, easily picked off by the royals' holy weapons in certain corridors. They grew more aggressive the further in the traveled, but still appeared in such small numbers that they proved to be no threat. The few torches that still hung on the walls grew scarcer, until there was no light but that from their magic. The mold coating everything grew thicker as well, seeming to pulsate in the low light, no longer content to edge near the floor but stretching up towards the ceiling and even covering it in places. Cracks in the walls that barely seemed wide enough for rats housed unholy beasts, arms and legs and heads that squeezed through them and scuttled with terrible speed towards them, trying to wind their way up legs like snakes. Someone screamed behind her, either Elise or Sakura, she couldn't tell; all children's' screams sounded the same to her. As an arm with too many fingers, all of them too long, tried to squeeze under her armor, she brought her foot down upon it, stomping it until there was nothing but slime left. Maybe it was Ant's arm. It had been limp when he fell, raw and just as slimy. She didn't remember it looking like that when she held it, trying to drag him further down. Nerr didn't realize she had stopped walking until Takumi none too gently gave her a push forward.

 

Despite the increasing oppressive stench in the air, there seemed to be no danger. A small group of them could have easily cleared out the tunnels in the morning. If she had stayed where she was, she could have slept and gone in the morning to make sure it was safe for her family and Ant-- oh, but he was dead. The door leading out was more of a hatch than a proper door, it's wood long rotten, the ground below it piled high with soil, grass still rooted in places. It crumbled under Nerr's hand as she tried to push it open, raining dirt into her eyes and mouth. The draconic princess stuck her head out through the widened hole left behind, trying to shake the sand from her face, unwilling to bring her filthy hands up. The sky was still dark, though the pale gray clouds made for a far brighter scene than the inky black of the tunnel. The land around her was still, the only movement that of the islands slowly drifting in the distance. It was almost impossible to believe there had been anything but peace and quiet that night.

 

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“ _This makes it obvious that I've been acting so hypocritically. After all,_ _I can't tell_ _what's so different_ _between_ _that corpse and me...”_

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A/N- This was a chapter I hated in the game; _OOOOH_ , I _hated_ it _,_ and I _know_ I didn't write it as well as I'd wanted to, but being ill for so long took so much out of me that I'm surprised I finished it at all (I tried to incorporate the stupid gimmick in a way that makes sense in this world). There's always that one part in a story that I hate writing and just want to finish as quickly as possible so I can get to the parts I'm actually passionate about. That was this part (this and the last two or so chapters). I just... I fucking hate Anthony in the game so much! Oh, another person in this apparently abandoned kingdom? Does he have an interesting story? Is there any more to him than a unique portrait? Lol, NO! He's just another evil random minion, kill him and continue. The only thing I hate more than them introducing someone _just_ for them to be another generic baddie is Corrin's whole... _everything_ during it! The in-game chapter ends with Ryouma and Xander _telling Corrin they were right for walking into the obviously evil bad guy's obvious trap!!_ “Keep believing in people, Corrin. Don't grow, don't learn from your mistakes; keep going out of your way to do the same stupid shit over and over again, because _we'll_ be here to clean up your messes like the trust fund kid you are! After all, you're not _you_ unless you're putting everyone in jeopardy with your ignorance.” Unlike a lot of people, I don't hate Corrin for being stupid. If characters were smart all the time, we wouldn't have stories. No, I hate Corrin because they _never_ _face consequences_ for their stupidity.


	20. Fears Setting In

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Ch.20- “Fears Setting In”

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Nerr watched the others file out of the tunnel with a knot in her stomach, counting and recounting and recounting again each head and knowing that was everyone, yet still feeling that they were a person short. They'd been a man short since arriving in Valla, and while their number had risen for a while, it was once again brought back down as a direct result of her actions. Every stupid thought she'd had for the last few days was catching up with her, replaying her idiocy in her mind. She'd have been quite content to curl up in a hole and die were she just left alone with her spiraling thoughts, but Xander quickly made it clear that she would not get off so lightly whilst he was there.

 

“The nerve of you, sneaking off in the middle of the night... Do you have any idea how dangerous that is, not just for you, but for all of us!? We could have been ambushed while you were off trying to play the hero; we could have _died_ because of your selfishness, your stupidity!” She could feel herself shrinking under his harsh words, unwilling to even attempt to meet his gaze, which she could feel burning holes into the back of her skull.

“Xander...” Elise's voice was little more than a whimper, as though it were she who was being berated. “Don't yell at her. She already feels bad--”

“Good! She _should_ feel bad!” He grabbed her arm, jerking her forward, forcing her to look up at him, to take his fury. “Everything that's happened tonight is your fault! A person died tonight because _someone_ had to rush in, arrows blazing, for... I don't even know what! I can't even begin to comprehend why you would do something so brain-dead idiotic!”

 

“Because you didn't trust me!” She screamed, completely shocked not only by the volume of her voice, but the fervor of her words. “I know what you've told everyone! I know you've told them not to follow me because I'm going to lead them into a trap! That's what you thought when I told you about the attack in Shirasagi months ago, isn't it!? You never trusted me, did you!?” The Nohrian prince gaped at her, taken aback, but quickly recomposed himself, his gauntlets scraping against her vambrace as she tried to pull away, dropping to the ground like a petulant child when he wouldn't release her. His retort, whatever it may have been, was interrupted by Ryouma.

“So you respond to Prince Xander's distrust by proving him right?” Both Nohrians stared at the brunette. “He believed you would lead us into a dangerous situation without thinking, and what do you do? Lead us into a dangerous situation, clearly without thinking.” His words, true as they were, burned her ears like hot coals. Nerr immediately found herself on the defensive.

 

“What right have you to lecture me about not thinking, Ryouma? You left your kingdom unattended for months on a whim--”

“Yes, and look what that lead to!” He raised his voice suddenly. “My people vulnerable, my army in shambles, three of my most trusted colleagues dead... I am _exactly_ the one who should lecture you! Let your wounded pride continue guiding your decisions and see where you end up.”

 

She would rather have Xander yelling at her. The ignominy of Ryouma lecturing her bled into the misery she had been trying to push further down, and it all came together to form a heavy weight in the pit of her gut. Tears that she refused to let fall burned her eyes, and it seemed that Ryouma at least realized that she either could not, or would not, absorb any more of their harsh words. Xander had in no way exhausted the full brunt of his anger, and would have begun yelling full force once more had Gunther not moved to provide a physical barrier between him and the object of his frustration.

 

“Surely you've made your point, milord. Kicking my lady when she's down won't accomplish anything.”

“Yes, it will! This is the only way she'll learn! Your incessant coddling is why she's like this in the first place! You made my sister weak and stupid so she'd have to depend on you!” Despite her sorrow, Nerr could not stop the indignation she felt at those words, though whatever affront she felt was clearly dwarfed by her knight's. She could not see his expression as he took a step towards Xander, but it must have been something fearful given the prince's half-step back as he released her arm.

“That's quite enough out of you, _milord_. If you want to blame anyone for your sister naiveté, blame the man who refused to let her step outside for over a decade. Now, I suggest you bolt that trap of yours before I do it for you.”

 

Seeing her ever-collected brother sputter pathetically might have been funny once upon a time, but his loss for words felt more like a blow against _her_ than anything. Gunther pulled her to her feet, but she could not stand tall as a princess ought, hunched over like a decrepit spinster. The others, too weary to watch the show being put on, had already begun setting up a new camp near a coppice. The edge of their little world was less than a hundred feet away, the next island over little more than a mile from what she could tell. All her rushing ahead, and it'd still take at least a day before they could get anywhere. A boy was dead because of her, and for what? An hour or two off their travel time? A boy was dead because of her... Her knees felt weak, and if Gunther hadn't been standing beside her, she probably would have collapsed painfully to the ground. He propped her up as she began leaning heavily on him, gasping for breath that would not come.

 

“Nerr?”

“This is my fault. It's all my fault. You know it is, don't you? Ant is dead because of me--”

“He is dead because of Anankos. I saw it with my own eyes; he began changing into one of those... _creatures_. He was lunging towards you!” Had he? That... wasn't how she remembered it. She only remembered a scared little boy reaching out in fear, for help, while she pulled away and tried to flee. ...had that been an attack? No. No, it couldn't have been...

“He was scared, and in pain. He was crying for his mother, and I ignored him!”

 

“And what, pray tell, could you have done to help him?” Gunther's voice, not nearly as harsh as Xander's had been, was still harder than usual as he frowned at her. “Are you a healer? Do you know what wretched plague infects this land and how to combat it?”

“No...”

“No, you don't. Sickness is not something that can be fought with a sword. Whatever was wrong with that boy would have claimed his life even if he'd never met you, Nerr. All you did was witness nature take it's course. A horrid thing, but better to prepare for it before we reach the capital.”

 

The... oh. That was right. Ant had said that there were other Vallites who were still alive, still suffering like him, even further gone. The thought of a city of people writhing in a mad death dance greeting them was too much for her to bear. Hundreds, thousands of bloody hands reaching out to her, begging her to help while she thought to run in the opposite direction... Staggering away, the princess retched violently, vomit burning her throat on it's slow climb up. Three heaves was all she had in her, but the coughing and hacking didn't stop for a while yet. Thin, filament roots were already beginning to pierce the weave of her clothes, and that barely-there itch was enough to leave her gagging again.

 

Her eyes stung as her head pounded, and she reached up to rub her temples desperately, the pointed tips of her gauntlets cutting her scalp. When an arm wrapped around her shoulders, she simply let it lead her, closing her eyes as the stabbing grew worse. He could've lead her off the edge of the island for all she cared, but instead Gunther guided her towards the camp, sitting her down as he set about unpacking their bedroll. The princess doubled over, head between her knees as she fought the nausea brewing inside her. Her armor stank of blood and bile and sour water. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing that little hand reaching out to her, the skin blistering and peeling off in thick flakes. She'd pulled away, recoiled from a little boy... The grass beside her rustled slightly, and though the fingers that rested hesitantly on her elbow were whole and intact, she couldn't help recoil from them as well.

 

“N-nee-sama? Are you okay?” Sakura's voice was little more than a whisper, just loud enough for her and only her to hear. Nerr would've laughed if her stomach wasn't compressed in such an awkward angle.

“I'm alive, aren't I?”

“Y-yes...?”

“Then I must be okay.”

 

She was alive, breathing, speaking, while so many in her wake were lying cold and stiff. With a pained whine, she toppled over onto her side, curling into an even tighter ball. Her armor dug into her ribs, pinching through her gambeson. With her head still resting against her knees, she couldn't see the Hoshidan princess, but in her mind's eye, she was certain the younger girl was fiddling with her skirt, very much uncomfortable with the situation she had entered, but not at all sure how to gracefully excuse herself. An awkward, but very firm pat on the head was all that preceded the grass rustling again. What was intended to be a comforting gesture left Nerr's throat constricting as her eyes welled up yet again.

 

No one was comforting Ant; no one had ever even attempted to console a terrified little boy who cried out for his mother when he was scared, but they could waste their sympathy on her after she got him killed in her foolhardy haste. Xander was right, _'_ _You_ _**should**_ _feel bad!'_ The whispers of the others speaking amongst themselves blended into each other, coalescing into a jumbled cloud of white noise that settled over her barely comprehensive thoughts. _It's your fault! It's your fault!_ Her eyes would drift shut only to snap open as some terrifying image flitted before them, only to fade away the moment she awoke, leaving only vague memories.

000

 

The morning after was probably the brightest it had been since they had first arrived in Valla. The majority of patches visibly through the thick clouds were bright blue, with sun even shining in some, warm enough to dry the dew that clung to the grass and leaves. The light clearly rejuvenated the Hoshidans, and even the Nohrians seemed to be in a better mood as they craned their necks back, facing the sun like cats in a window, without even realizing what they were doing. With the fog thinner than it had been in days, they could see further, beyond the wooded island that lay directly ahead of them. Hinoka had taken her pegasus up for an aerial view, Azura seated behind her, and when they came back down to earth, the princesses faces actually looked hopeful.

 

“There's a hugeisland about 50 miles west of here.”

“That far?” Camilla asked, her visible brow furrowing. “How can you even see it? It's not _that_ clear.” The Hoshidan princess chuckled.

“You underestimate how massive this island is, Princess Camilla. It's probably bigger than Shirasagi. I thought there was a mountain on it for a second, until I saw that it was too angular to be natural.”

“That's Gyges. I'm sure of it.” Azura's eyes flashed, anger, determination, and fear all passing through them so quickly that they bled together. “From here, the islands form an almost straight line to the capital. That boy was right; this is the way to go. It's a good thing we didn't waste time looking for another route.” She stared at Xander as she spoke, the crown prince frowning deeply.

 

“This could have just as easily been the way into a trap. When one's life is on the line, time is never wasted.” Nerr had been peering at the them from her periphery, but as Azura met her eyes, she averted her gaze entirely. Perhaps the singer was trying to make her feel better, to make it seem like her foolish idea _hadn't_ been a disaster. She certainly hadn't been opposed to looking for a different route only a few days ago.

 

For days, they traveled. The forest was smaller than the first one they'd drifted through, but despite how little area it covered, it took them longer. Even ignoring the thick undergrowth that made walking a chore, the dark woods were like a maze. Thick roots protruding from the ground tripped them up, while the gnarled trunks often twisted in such a way that completely blocked a path they wanted to take, forcing them to go around. No sunlight dappled through the thick canopy, making every shadow flat. That was why it had to just be a trick of her mind that Nerr thought the burls on the trunks they passed seemed more pronounced. Every knot and hollow appeared to blink as she passed it, like horrible eyes watching her through the darkness. Once, she had thought to bring it up, but if there was any dark power at play here, surely _she_ wouldn't have been the only one noticing. Indeed, Leo and Elise were more sensitive to magical energies than she had ever been. Azura would definitely hone onto Anankos' presence long before she could.

 

No, surely it was just a figment of her imagination, a nightmare. That's what it was. That's all it was. She'd been having so many of them, it was getting harder to differentiate between them and reality. So often these days, she would wake herself by walking into a low-hanging branch, certain she had been running through an open field. Those red dreams had been coming far more frequently, far more red and hot in the process. The bodies she stumbled over were increasingly replaced with hands that grabbed at her ankles, slathering her bare skin in blood and pus that melted her own flesh down to the bone. She would often wake up before she could pull herself free from the bones digging into her feet, eyes blurry, head pounding as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

 

Sometimes, she would cry out at the sudden shock of waking when her mind was still half-asleep, but mostly, she would remain silent. Often, it had nothing to do with any desire to not disturb the others, hinged entirely on the fact that her limbs and jaw were leaden, weighed down too heavily to even shift. As she lay locked inside her own body, all she could do was listen to the sounds around her. And while most everyone slept, there were always those stragglers that remained awake, either keeping watch, heeding nature's call, or else, dealing with thoughts too pressing to put off.

 

They always seemed to stand outside her field of vision, and for a while she fancied herself able to discern who was speaking, if it was Sakura whispering fretfully to her sister, or one of her sibling's retainers muttering urgently to another, but as she remained immobile, her eyes more often than not drifting shut once more, all their voices seemed to melt together, their timbres and cadences becoming one in the same.

 

“Father was marching Our garrison stationed in Susano-O might remain a stronghold until We can go home Again it's been so long”. The sounds were like the buzzing of flies, irritating but something she could ignore when she was sufficiently exhausted. But when she found herself startled awake by the heat of her dreams, their words always sounded louder than usual, and that was when certain parts of their furtive whispers truly reached her ears. “That poor boy” and “I can't believe she did that”

“Horrible”

“Awful”

“Disgusting”... Bile churned in her gut as she tried to convince herself they weren't talking about _her_.

 

There were plenty of poor boys whose lives were cut short with war simmering on both sides of the border. Plenty of women could have done things that beggared belief. Her siblings had better things to do than waste their precious energy reminding themselves of her foolishness and short-sightedness and how easily she could get them killed just like she had lead Ant to his death. She told herself that time and time again, until the words bled into her subconscious, but they never stuck. That was her fault. Every time someone spoke words too low for her ears while they hacked through the ever-more sparsely packed undergrowth, her stomach would twist itself into knots as she wondered what horrid things they were saying about her now.

 

Had they been baseless rumors, Nerr would not have given it a second thought, but all their possible doubts and disappointments were truth. She _should_ feel bad. When she closed her eyes, she could see a boy standing at the lip of a chasm, the black stone glowing red, and all she had to do was stretch out her fingers. But when she did, something forcibly pulled her back, and the sudden agony of something large and sharp piercing her heel snapped her back to consciousness. The pain threw her off balance, and the princess found herself falling hard to the ground, more rocks digging painfully into her backside through through the scales of her long shirt. Breathing hard, she looked around in confusion.

 

There were no trees in front of her, the tree line now only in her periphery. The darkness of both the woods as well as her dreams had been replaced with the overcast slate gray light of Valla's sky, stretching out infinitely before her, the islands in the distance little more than blurry drops of ink on a damp paper. The only thing that stood in focus was the Kougan pirate standing beside her, the breeze buffeting his shabby green cloak. Nerr shut her mouth, suddenly aware that it had been hanging open as she panted.

 

“Did you just throw me to the ground?” She asked, more affronted that he was standing there, staring at her without a word than his actions, if he had indeed taken any. The older man frowned, the faint lines around his lips becoming deeper.

“I just stopped you from walking off the edge of this island, your highness. But forgive me; next time, I'll let you go if you're so eager to fly.” She hadn't noticed the edge, hadn't noticed anything more of the ground than what she sat on. If she craned her neck a bit, she could see where it dropped off sharply. The wind seemed colder suddenly, her mail chilling her through the thick wool she wore. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she looked back up at Shura. The way the wind buffeted his wild curls made him look like those flowers with feathery seeds, but it seemed an unjust thing to think of the man who'd saved her from these wretched heights twice now as a wispy flower.

 

“Thank you. I didn't realize where my feet were taking me.” Takumi had scouted ahead and said they were less than half a mile from the edge of the island, but they had still been deep in the woods when he came back, light drifting behind his holy bow's string like a trail of embers. She'd closed her eyes, just for a moment, only a few seconds, to try and soothe the pressure that always pressed against them as of late.

“Neither did I. Thought for a second you were off to take a piss, then wondered why you wouldn't go back in the woods for that.”

“Perhaps I simply wanted to piss of the edge of the world?” She tried to smile, to show she was joking, but her face felt stiff and tired. Beetle black eyes narrowed as he regarded her. Was he trying to suss out her lie? No great honor is seeing the sky was blue.

 

“...perhaps. Maybe you're just more clumsy than you seem. Gods know you ran into enough branches back there.” Yes, yes she had. They'd hung low and the leaves slapping her face and the dirt in her eyes was often just as rude an awakening as this had been. Eager to look anywhere but his eyes, Nerr bent over her injured foot, grasping the flat shale in one hand while she held her toes still with the other. It had pierced deeper than she'd first thought, the thick callouses on her soles not protection enough against it's knife-sharp edge. Blood welled up, dark against the blackness of her heel, blood amidst ash, flames licking the rock wall of the chasm. She squeezed it shut while Shura continued speaking to the back of her head.

 

“Those royal pricks ought to tie a rope around you and lead you like a mule. Guess they don't care where you wander off to.” She pinched it harder. She'd had clenched her hand into a fist had it not been preoccupied.

“They have other things to worry about. I'm glad they don't trouble themselves with something as silly as me sleepwalking.”

“Oh, that's what you call it, is it? Sleepwalking? Seemed a bit too purposeful for some fanciful stroll through the flowers to me.” Nerr looked up, her nostrils flaring as everything blinked red for the shortest second.

“What are you implying? That I'm trying to kill myself?” Shura held both his hands up in a show of surrender, though his gaze remained shrewd.

 

“I didn't say nothin', princess. Only I've seen men in thick boots walk dry summer roads with less determination than you were skipping over those knives. What does royalty dream of, I wonder? Were you racing to pluck a crown off your daddy dearest's head before your brothers and sisters tore you apart to get _their_ hands on it?”

“I care nothing for crowns.” She told him coldly. Releasing her heel, the skin had knit itself back together, the blood nothing more than a smear. Standing with more difficulty than she would ever admit, Nerr scanned the edge of the island until she saw the others. They weren't that far away, only a few yards. They could see her just as easily as she saw them, if only they turned their heads to look. They were all facing the other direction, where the islands floated closer to them. Taking care where she put her weight this time, she began heading back over to them.

 

“Then what _do_ you care about?” She paused, slowly turning back around. Shura had made no effort to follow her, instead dropping into a crouch. Balanced on the balls of his feet and hidden in the folds of his cloak, he looked more like a great frog than a flower. “Saving the world? Protecting the weak? The people who are dead because of you?” They were so far apart, but the breath left her as though he had driven his fist into her gut. She stomped back over to him, her anger blotting out the pain of the stones digging into her feet.

 

“I didn't--”

“I never said you did.”

“You said--”

“That they're dead because of you. It's true. You know it's true.” Despite his cold, cruel words, there was nothing cold _or_ cruel in his voice. While Xander's had been brimming with anger and Ryouma's laced with disappointment and all the voices she heard talking at night made her sick with guilt, Shura spoke quietly, plainly.

 

“You didn't want them to die. You didn't kill them; fuck, you probably wanted to protect them. But you didn't. You couldn't. They died, and you're alive, and it's eating you up from the inside.” She stared down at him, warily, angrily, not trusting herself to talk. _It's your fault._ The pirate sighed, turning to look out over the edge of the island, at the thick gray clouds and patches of sky that occasionally rippled. “That old horse of yours fancies he knows all about Kouga, but he doesn't know shit. I was ten when it happened. When they came. The Mokushuujin. My mother tried to take me and run, but when Kotaro came, she had to stay behind to keep him preoccupied. I escaped, with some of our guards, some of our civilians.

The Mokushuujin weren't content to leave us be. They hunted us like the dogs they were, and every time they got too close, someone had to stay behind to buy the rest of us time. One but one, they all threw themselves upon Kotaro's swords to buy time for their little daimyo to get to Shirasagi, where Sumeragi would hear what happened and take the soldiers and save us.” As he spoke, a bitter smile had been tugging at his lips. Now, with them fully peeled back from his teeth, he looked like a snarling dog, but when he looked back up at her, she could see the pain in his eyes. “I didn't kill them. It was my duty to protect them, I was their daimyo. But they died, and I'm alive, and even with Kotaro burning in hell where he belongs, it still haunts me.” Nerr swallowed, but when she spoke, her voice was still a tight whisper.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Shura got to his feet in one fluid motion.

“I didn't come into this waking nightmare to satiate my thirst for adventure. You say this Anankos wants to destroy the world. I'd say 'fuck the world', except it just so happens I live there, and I also plan to rebuild Kouga there. I can't do that if the person who's going to stop Anankos goes and runs off a god damn cliff.”

“I'm not trying to kill myself!” She screamed at him, horrified by the sound of her voice echoing far and away. She could feel the others turning to look at her, their gazes cold on her back, like spiders crawling up her spine.

 

“Then what the hell are you running towards!?” She felt like a block of stone as she stood there glaring up at him. When the tears sprang into her eyes, they began dissolving her from the inside out, leaving her feeling hollow and brittle.

“...Jakob...” She whispered, her voice breaking. She always told herself she could stare down any one, she did not falter, she did not blink, but even as she fought to keep her eyes open, she could not see, the world a blurry gray mess as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “I can't-- It's like he's there. He's _right there_ , and if I reach out I can save him, but I'm always too late. He _is_ dead because of me; he was supposed to jump before me and I wasn't paying attention. It's my fault he's dead, and it's my fault Ant's dead, and I'm going to get us all killed...!”

 

 _Stupid child..._ Garon's voice sneered at her, _Idiot girl..._ He was right. She was stupid and should never have been allowed to leave the Citadel. She couldn't follow the simplest order, couldn't so much as keep her steward safe from an attack meant for _her_. ' _It's your fault, you stupid chit, it's all your fault...!_ _'_ _You_ _ **should**_ _feel bad...!_ Jumping off the edge of the island was beginning to sound more and more palatable as she choked on her sobs and clumsily wiped away her tears with her gauntlets. If she landed back at the Nohr-Hoshido border, or impaled herself on some jagged rocks below, anything would be better than _this_. So caught up in her self pity and loathing, Nerr didn't notice Shura approach until he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She stiffened, tried to pull away, but he only tightened his hold on her.

 

“You wanna cry, then cry.” His voice had been gruff, but softened just a bit when he spoke again. “Grief... it's like a ship's bilge. It's _gonna_ keep filling up, ain't nothin' you can do about that. You just gotta pump it out every once in a while.” No, he was wrong. Maybe other people could sit around and cry and be worthless, but she was supposed to be a leader. She was supposed to be brave and strong so her soldiers could be brave and strong, because no one would follow a weak, weepy dairy maid into battle. Even as she told herself that, Nerr found herself burying her face in Shura's cloak, the old wool absorbing her tears better than her leather gloves could. Just for a moment, she conceded. A moment of being weak, of being worthless would be okay (it wouldn't just be a moment, her own mind sneered in disgust, and she knew it).

 

Shura patted her back, the way she would have done for Leo, or maybe even Takumi. It was a brotherly affection, and she found herself immensely grateful even for that, but deep in the back of her mind, she acknowledged that it didn't satisfy her. She wanted strong arms to wrap around her in a warm embrace, to rock her gently and kiss her head and whisper that everything would be fine in a way that actually made her believe it, if only for that immediate moment. She closed her eyes and rocked herself a bit, and that helped, but it felt wrong. It smelled wrong. Shura smelled of sweat and salt and the faintest whiff of citrus. There was nothing at all unpleasant about it, gods only know she'd smelled worse- _she_ smelled worse, but she longed for the balm of leather and steel and wood smoke.

 

Her greediness filled her with guilt. What a wretched child she was, thinking to herself that someone's kindness, their sympathy and understanding wasn't _good enough_ for her. Somehow, that guilt seemed to amalgamate her prior misery, overwhelming it and stoppering her tears. Her head pounded in time with her heartbeat and the pressure in her forehead threatened to blind her. He wasn't as tall as the likes of, say, Xander, so she could just see past his shoulder when she finally lifted her eyes from the scratchy cloak. The violet eyes that met hers were dark with anger, the lines around them etched deep with hate. She gasped, wrenching away from Shura, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't heard anything, but he'd have had to walk past them to get to those trees. How long had he been standing there, watching her weep in another man's arms?

 

“Okay, okay, calm that pretty little chest of yours, princess. You want me to let go, all you had to do was ask.”

“Huh?”

“C'mon, it looks like m'lords and m'ladies found how we're getting across. And I don't want that ornery old badger of yours to think I'm over here making unwanted advances on his little wifey.”

“What are you talking about, Gunther's--”

“Yeah yeah, I'm sure he's _definitely_ not the jealous sort. Look at him over there... I ought to plant one on you just to see if I can't make that vein in his temple pop.”

 

The pirate was muttering darkly, more to himself than her, but Nerr gulped and hazarded a glance down the island's ledge. Even amongst the other suits of black armor, Gunther's stood out to her, the silver embossing glinting painfully bright. He was... standing over there with the others. Watching her, watching _them_ , but decidedly not behind her, half hidden by the trees' shadows. Her heart was still beating hard as she looked back at the trees. No... there was no one there. Of course there wasn't- how would she not have heard someone walk past her? Even so, disquiet still prickled her skin as she turned her back to the woods and began the trek back to the others. They were not far, but her feet felt weighed down, and her steps seemed to cover no ground. Shura could have outpaced her with ease, but instead he matched her speed, the stones crunching under his boots. The silence between them felt more uncomfortable than she'd have thought possible.

 

“Thank you, Shura. Not just for saving me, but also for your words. ...and for letting me cry on you...” He waved her off airily.

“I've had worse things than a pretty girl's tears stain this cloak.” His wry grin vanished and his face turned hard as he looked down at her. “I'll thank you to keep you lips shut about what I've told you. I don't need these spoiled cunts looking down on me more than they already do.”

 

For a moment, she thought to argue, to tell him that the tragedy of his youth was something her “spoiled” siblings _should_ know, the kind of evil they should stand against, but sadly, she remembered having a similar conversation with Gunther only a few weeks ago (had it really been just a few short weeks?). _They don't care- nobody has ever cared_ , he'd spat bitterly. She imagined Shura would have a similar reaction, so she just nodded, though not without a heavy heart.

 

“My lips are sealed.”

“Good.” He began walking, but Nerr grabbed his wrist, holding him back.

“I care.”

“What?” His brows furrowed in confusion.

“About your people. Your home, and the monster who took that away from you. _I_ care.” He seemed confused by this apparent non-sequitur, but she was certain she saw something warm in his eyes. Gratitude or relief, she couldn't be sure.

 

“...thanks for that.” The silence that covered the rest of their walk back wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as it had been. The sound of stones grinding against each other met them as massive clods of earth and chunks of rock from the nearby smaller islands as well as the base of this one slid into place to form a walkway that hung in the open air as perilously as the ground they stood on. The sight of them always made Nerr's stomach sink, but she didn't have long to look at this one as Gunther rushed over to her, taking hold of her arms in both hands as he stooped to better look at her. There was no trace of the anger and hate she was certain she had seen earlier. Only fear and concern shone in his eyes as he scanned every inch of her face.

 

“You've been crying. What's wrong, my dearest?” For a moment, she thought to tell him everything, her nightmares, her guilt and doubt, but when she opened her mouth, something stayed her tongue.

“It's nothing.” She said quickly. “I'm just... still a bit upset about what happened to Ant.

“Of course,” He murmured understandingly, drawing her closer to his side. “It shouldn't surprise me. My poor little ladyship always grieves, even for the smallest lives.” The metallic tang of his armor overpowered any other scent. “You have my thanks for comforting my lady in her time of need.” The knight's voice was a hard and cold as his steel when he spoke to Shura. The other man smirked at him.

 

“You ought to keep a closer eye on _your lady_ before she wanders off somewhere you can't find her.” Gunther's hand tightened on her arm. She could barely feel it though the mail shirt and thick padding beneath, but she could hear the scales clinking as they were agitated.

“I assure you, that won't happen.” His tone made her shiver, and Nerr slipped out of his grasp, creeping over to her siblings. Camilla intercepted her, pulling her into a bone-breaking hug.

“Are you okay, sweetling? That filthy vagrant didn't do anything untoward, did he?” She struggled, and failed, to escape her grasp.

“Of _course_ he didn't.”

 

“Really?” Takumi's brow raised, though his lips still turned down in a dour frown. “Because you were yelling pretty loudly over there.” Nerr felt a chill under her skin as she tensed in her sister's embrace. They weren't mentioning anything, they weren't calling her out for her outburst, no one was chastising her... perhaps they just didn't catch what she had said. Relaxing a hair, she swallowed.

 

“It was nothing. I just... lost my temper, I suppose. Maybe I'm just stressed.” Xander, who had been speaking to Leo, turned on his heel. The clank of his armor made her flinch with each step, when it had once brought comfort.

“This is no time for your excess of emotion, sister. You would do well to keep these kinds of outbursts under control, lest you end up attracting a horde of those monsters.” He looked out towards the nearest island, the soil and stone bridge near halfway to it. “I don't know how many people lived in Valla, but I'm certain that the majority of them must have lived in or near the capital. The last thing we need is to be picked off before facing an army.”

 

Nerr's stomach sank to her feet, the momentary sense of relief she'd felt once more replaced by fear and dread. Her mind went back to Shirasagi, to Cyrkensia. Beyond the smoke and destruction and death, she tried to remember just how many people had been in those cities- there were hundreds at least, and those were just the ones that had been drawn out. Thousands of cold, dead hands awaited her, piling up, an insurmountable wall... She groaned, desperately rubbing her temples as the throbbed in time to her pulse. A thin, pale hand touched her arm.

 

“Are you alright, Nerr?” Azura's face loomed beside her like a giant moon, the stillness of her expressions reminding the Nohrian princess uncomfortably of the statues they had seen.

“I'm okay... my head just hurts.”

“Maybe a song would help?” The stone in her pendant glinted, and Nerr quickly backed away.

“No, I really don't think it would. Why don't you save that for the zombies?”

“Oh. Alright.” There was something odd in the singer's eyes. Was she upset? Offended? Whatever it was, Nerr's head ached too fiercely to care. “I think Elise might have some tonics in her saddle bag. Those sometimes help with minor aches and pains.”

“I-I'll ask. Thank you.

000

 

The bridge that had been crafted via the Dragon Vein hadn't been long enough to span the gap between the islands. There had still been about twenty or so feet of empty space. Camilla flew Leo to the other side while Hinoka carried Sakura across the gap; Nerr wasn't sure if they found another Vein or if he had used his ancient tome until she saw the thick roots binding the earth together. She had to restrain herself to keep from running across, but when she saw the sweat beading her brother's brow, she threw caution to the wind and sprinted those last few feet. She wasn't alone in her desire to get off the that narrow bridge as quickly as possible. A yellow blur rushed past her, what little contact the mage had with her enough of a force to knock her back.

 

Nerr felt the empty air beneath her heel and for one horrible moment, she was back at the Chasm, _in_ the Chasm, falling through the darkness. A hand closed around her bicep and roughly pulled her away from the ledge. As her pulse returned to normal, she realized it had been Hinoka who grabbed her, her other hand still holding her steed's reins. The older princess grinned, though her brows her crinkled, either in fear or worry.

 

“Hey, watch your step. Imagine coming all this way just to end up back at the Chasm and have to start from the beginning.”

“If I end up back at the border for any reason, you'd best believe I won't be coming back here.” The words were on her lips before she'd even realized what she was saying, and the moment she heard them aloud, she hated herself for even _thinking_ them. For a moment, the red-haired princess looked shocked, but she just chuckled lightly.

“You and me both. When I was little, I thought Nohrian soldiers were the worst thing I would ever have to fight against.” Her slight smile faded as she stared at the ruins that lay ahead of them. “Gods, I was so stupid back then... Young and stupid and naïve...” The moment every member of their party had stepped onto the island, the roots holding up the bridge began to wither and die, causing the soil to erode into the abyss below.

 

“Gods help me, if I have to do this one more time, I'm going to lose my god damn mind.” Leo said between gasps as he leaned against his destrier. He looked at Azura, his eyes narrowing. “Why in all the hells didn't you think to tell us what kind of terrain we'd be traveling through?” The singer's hands balled into her dress.

“It took months just to convince you all to come. I was more worried about getting you to believe there was actually threat beyond your borders than figuring out how to make rope bridges.”

“Lord Leo actually makes a good point,” Lazwald pondered aloud. “How did _you_ get from place to place here? There's too much distance between the islands for Dragon Veins more often than not...” Azura flushed slightly, the dark look in her eyes more reminiscent of guilt than embarrassment.

 

“...I never traveled through Valla. Not after my mother died. I remembered places I went with her, but not well enough, and I was always afraid of getting lost by myself. I stayed near the area where we first landed, where I knew how to get back.” Leo didn't seem satisfied with her excuse, but she didn't give him a chance to continue voicing his discontent. “There are a few buildings further inland that aren't completely ruined, or that have roofs at the very least.”

 

They had entered another settlement, but unlike the first one which showed no traces of human life aside from the homes, this village or city had clearly housed people in it. Recently. The streets were overgrown with grass, the crumbling walls of the homes overtaken by moss and ivy, but inside them were human things. Tables and chairs. Chests, some open with tattered clothes spilling out. As they walked, they looked into the windows of the lives that had lived there who knew how long ago. Plates were scattered across some tables and even many floors, their contents long since decomposed or else, eaten by what little wildlife remained in the dead kingdom. Nerr felt guilty just looking into the homes, as though she were intruding upon the people who had once resided in them. Others did not share her reservations.

 

When walls were low enough or the doors hung off their hinges, Shura would hop inside, darting from corner to corner with the quickness and thoroughness of the rats that lived in the Citadel's library and kitchen. More often than not, his searching yielded no results, but occasionally, he would produce something worthwhile. Silver candlesticks, a ring that seemed to be made of beaten gold, a dirk with a handle that seemed carved out of wyvern bone. Selena sneered at him as he tucked the trinkets into his bag.

 

“Gods, do you not have _any_ shame? You're robbing graves, and in broad daylight!” The pirate scoffed at her, pulling off his glove with his teeth.

“Would it be better if I waited until you were all asleep so as to not offend thine delicate virgin gazes? These aren't graves, they're houses, and if I never robbed a house someone died in, I'd have to choose a new profession.”

 

Smirking at her disgusted look, he slid the ring onto his little finger, taking a moment to admire it before slipping his glove back on. On the one hand, Nerr didn't feel very comfortable with the thought of plundering from the dead, but she quickly reminded herself that the dead could no longer benefit from their possessions. How long had she worn armor stripped off someone's corpse? It had served her a great deal better than whomever owned it before her. Still, while she was willing to look the other way when some unscrupulous brigand pilfered through the ruins, she was far less forgiving to see Gunther stepping over one of the low brick walls. She quickly followed him, trying to avoid stepping on the rubble as she climbed into the dark room and pausing. The ruined stone was on the inside of the home. Whatever had caused that massive hole had been outside and forced it's way in... For a moment, she simply stood there, trying to imagine what the inhabitants must have felt as that wall shook and cracked, their last line of defense. It wasn't until she noticed the knight kneeling in the far corner that she was pulled from her dark reverie.

 

“Gunther, what are you holding? If that's not a weapon, you don't need it.” He ignored her, and Nerr approached him, keeping one ear on the steps of their party, trying to judge just how far away they were. Not that far. She peered over his shoulder. “What is that?” Wordlessly, Gunther held it up for her to see. It appeared to be a carved figure, some four-legged animal, though she couldn't tell if it was a horse, a dog, or a pig. “A little figurine? It's not made very well. What interest would you have in that?” She tried to take it, to try and see if she could make heads or tails of it, but the knight tightened his grip on the wood. It must have been old- she could see it give slightly under his fingers.

 

“It's amateur work. Carved by someone with no real experience.” Gunther drew his hand back, still gripping whatever animal that was tightly. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was staring at it with that dark intensity he had sometimes. “I used to make toys like this for my son. I had no skill, but I wanted him to have playthings I knew we couldn't afford, so I made them myself. Children grip to things when they're afraid, as if that can save them.” Lowering the small figure back to the ground with the utmost reverence, he stood. “Whatever child died here must have been cowering in fear. Maybe their parents held them, or maybe they watched their parents die first.” Nerr felt her throat tighten as she stared up at her betrothed, the back of his head all she could see still.

 

“Gunther...” He turned, but didn't look at her, staring out the hole they'd entered through.

“I've seen so many ruined homes... I helped ruin some of them... They always leave behind similar stories. Not my village, though. There's no evidence of frightened children there. All the toys I made for Christoph are decades old ash and dust.”

“Dearest...” She trailed off, unsure of what to say. He didn't want her sympathies, and even if he did, how could “I'm so sorry” stand up to such tragedy? Instead, she settled for wrapping her arms around his midsection, resting her cheek against the cold steel of his cuirass. “I... I'm certain he's watching over you from the afterlife.” She whispered, trying to remember the comforting things she'd read about what laid after death.

 

“No. He isn't.” Gunther's voice sounded almost bored, as though he had heard that same platitude a thousand times before and grown weary of it long ago. “My sons are dead, just like everyone else. Only you watch over me now, my love.” She pulled away just enough to look up at him.

“And I always will.” A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it never reached his eyes.

“I know. Come now, we'd best catch up with the others, lest they assume we've snuck off to make out like pubescent teenagers.” Nerr laughed weakly, little more than a “heh” as her stomach churned at the thought of anything more intimate than their current embrace in the ruins where a child had died horribly, but when she put a bit more thought into it as they trailed behind the others, was there any place she could think of that hadn't been tainted by death? Even the fortress in the grim north that she called home and longed to return to at night had housed prisoners of war in the dungeons. Who knew how many of those dark cells still held the mouldering remains of those unlucky enough to get captured?

 

The further inland they walked, the louder a still distant thumping sound became. It was slow, only once or twice every ten minutes or so, but it was very strange regardless. Nohrians and Hoshidans exchanged glances. Elise gripped her reins tighter, while Takumi unhitched his bow. Groups of homes whose roofs were still almost completely intact stood a few alleys away from the street they were on. Those with steeds tied them to some of the several nearby trees. That faint thumping still echoed like at the same intervals.

 

“What in all the hells is that?” Leo's fingers tightened around his tome, leaving faint marks on the purple leather.

“D-do you think it's an en-enemy?” Sakura whispered, a small quaver in her voice. Nerr frowned, cupping her hands around her ears to better hear. It was muffled slightly, but it reminded her something striking against a stone. She shook her head slightly.

“No... I don't think it is.” She unsheathed the Yato. “I'm going to go check it out.”

“I'll come with you, sweetie. Who knows what horrors lie beyond the bend?” Camilla smiled at her sweetly. Odin, who had been helping Leo remove his horse's saddle, perked up.

 

“Horrors around the bend? I do believe you meant 'dark adventure waiting to unfold', milady. Count me in!” Tucking a well-worn Ragnarök tome under his arm, he dashed out past them, grinning. Nerr tore her eyes away from his garish cloak and looked at the others.

“Anyone else?”

“I think I lost my taste for adventure back in that first forest...” Takumi muttered half to himself. Camilla smiled, throwing her arm around her sister's shoulders.

 

“Well, try not to miss us too much. If we aren't back in half an hour, we're probably dead, so come look for our bodies.” Elise's face turned the color of sour milk.

“Don't make jokes like that!” She whined, her eldest sister chuckling lightly as she began walking. Nerr matched her steps in silence for a long moment. Her head was still throbbing, and her eyes were beginning to burn from being tired.

 

“...maybe now isn't the best time to joke of such matters, sister.” The older woman looked down at her, still smiling, though it looked sadder, far more weary than she was used to.

“Oh, my sweet Nerr... These are the best times for such jests. When there's so much fear and horror and sadness all around you, you get tired of being scared and miserable. I know death may well await us up ahead, you know it, we all know it. Would you rather us huddle together in a corner, cowering in fear while we wait for Anankos to find and destroy us?” Nerr gave no answer, but her sister didn't seem to expect one.

 

As they walked, she took in the other woman's appearance. Her armor, which once shone brightly, was now dented and scratched, the leather worn off near the soles of her boots. Lilac hair hung rather limp around her face, dirty and matted, only roughly combed as if by fingers. Looking ahead, Nerr noticed the bright yellow cloak that offended her eyes so much was no longer the garish lemon color it had once been, but now a dull brownish hue, ragged and frayed around the hem. She never took note of how much this trek was wearing on her companions. The guilt began gnawing at her again. She balled her fist into her her cloak, pulling it tightly around herself, which Camilla took note of at once.

 

“Oh, are you cold, Nerr?”

“No. ...do you think I've made a terrible mistake, Camilla?”

“What do you mean, darling?”

“We aren't prepared for anything. I dragged us here with no idea how to even get back. Even if we manage to find Anankos, what then? I'm not so naïve as to believe nine or so people can bring a god to keel, even if they hold powerful weapons designed for that explicit purpose. I told myself things would work out, but I honestly think I'm just leading us all to our deaths now.” She had been staring at the ground as she spoke, and as such, didn't notice Odin had stopped until she nearly collided with him. “Is something the matter?”

 

“...no, milady.” His voice was unusually subdued. “I couldn't help but overhear what you said just now- the arcane forces that flow through my veins allow me greater perception than the average mortal--”

“Are you going somewhere with this?”

“Yes! I mean, yes.” He turned on his heel, his expression pinched. She generally kept a wide berth between her siblings' retainers and herself, even when they spoke. There was something off about them. Standing this close to him, she realized that he was much older than she had originally assumed, closer to Xander's age than Leo's. “I just want to say that... I don't see what you and Lady Azura are doing as leading us to our 'deaths'.”

 

“No? Then what do you see it as?”

“Leading us, and by extension the whole of Nohr and Hoshido both, to salvation!” Nerr felt her lip twist in distaste of it's own accord as she took a step back. The mage must have realized that he was losing her and quickly tried to backtrack. “I'm not trying to be theatrical or hyperbolic here, milady. I say this with as much sincerity as my aching blood allows. Death is coming, regardless of what actions you do or do not take. It's admirable that, rather than bury your heads in the sand and try to ignore it until it's at your doorstep, you and Lady Azura are meeting it head on. We might not succeed. We might well all die. But we'll do so on our own terms, fighting red in tooth and nail until our last breaths that we can save _somebody's_ future. Like heroes.” Nerr opened her mouth, but any words she might have spoken died on her tongue. Camilla filed the growing silence.

 

“Goodness. You're quite the orator, aren't you, Odin? And here I thought the only things that came out of your mouth were nonsense and whatever psychotic delusions you were seeing.” He flinched, despite the lack of sharpness in her tone.

“You wound me, Princess Camilla. One cannot hope to master the darkest of dark arts without first mastering the language needed to draw forth it's power. Besides, everyone needs a pep talk now and then.”

“Yes,” Nerr muttered, only half focusing on his words now. “Perhaps you should give one to the others as well.” The blonde man beamed at her.

“You really think so, Lady Nerr?”

“Sure. That thumping is getting faster.” She brushed past him, less interested in the sound than she cared to admit. Half of what he had said slid from her mind immediately. She did not want to hear anything of being admirable. _Like heroes..._

 

What kind of hero led children to their deaths? The songs and epic poems said nothing of brave knights who let their dearest friends die in their stead because of such a stupid oversight... Several of the houses had almost completely come down, only a few cracked stones and splintered beams partially holding up what remained of their roofs. Nerr thought to climb over it, but realized as she drew closer that not only was the mound of rubble massive, but it was shifting. Her fingers twitched around her sword's grip, her heart pounding in her throat as she awaited something to jump out at her. But as she watched the stones, the princess noticed that the movement was relegated to the other side, the stones and dust sliding against each other.

 

Creeping around the debris, she realized that it was falling over the edge of what appeared to be the broken end of a bridge, an almost steady stream of dust shifting away. How much stone must have sat there when the structure first collapsed to leave this much behind even now? A thunderous crash made her jump back, bumping into Camilla. The older woman steadied her with one hand, the other slowly lowering the ax she'd just been holding at the ready.

 

“Is that an actual bridge?” Nerr's eyes widened as she followed her sister's gaze back to the rubble. The broke stone jutting out from the edge of the island was longer now than it had been only seconds ago. But that was impossible, it couldn't have been! She had just been looking at it. Odin jogged up to them, craning his neck to better see.

“Oh, that's not going to hold _any_ weight. It's completely cracked.” He winced, as though the sight of it caused him physical pain. Indeed, a massive crack ran through the gargantuan slab. The edges no longer aligned properly, implying whatever caused it hadn't been clean, but that was impossible. A crack that wide, that deep would have sent the stone plummeting; it had to have been suspended over something, after all.

 

Nerr slowly raised her gaze, frowning as she actually took note of the next island over. It may have been smaller than where they currently stood; she could not tell as her eyes were still drawn ever higher, searching for the tops of the trees that dotted the land. Some branches hung low enough to make out the verdant foliage, but the canopy vanished in the distant fog. So consumed by the sight of these trees that may well have dwarfed some mountains she was that she barely took note of the rest of the island until a deafening crash brought her attention back to it. Her eyes darted wildly, looking for the source with no success until Camilla pointed it out to her.

 

“Good lords, what is _that?_ ” Another stone slab, larger than the one in front of them but cut the same, lazily floated out of the tree line, making a beeline for another, smaller island, one of many that seemed to orbit the main one like so many moons. “There are more of them, in the trees.” Indeed there were, no less than half a dozen that Nerr could see. Some moved at a snail's pace, while one flew with the speed of a horse at full gallop. It vanished behind one of the cottage-sized trunks and there was another crash. It took the Nohrian princess a few seconds to organize her words.

“Are those... I think they're bridges. Or they were. Look.” She pointed not at the slabs, but the island itself. What she had taken for streams of debris much like the one in front of her was, upon a second look, too wide, too steady, too fluid. “There's water over there. That may well have been a lake when Valla was whole.” Odin gave a sharp laugh that almost sounded like a short scream.

 

“So you're telling me that, not only do we have to cross bridges built on prayers to get from place to place here, but now the bridges themselves are going to be _moving independently?_ ” His face had gone an off green, and he backed away, managing a whole two steps before Nerr grabbed his shoulder, her fingers digging in just enough to keep him still.

“That won't be a problem, will it? You're not thinking of leaving because of a little hiccup on our route.” He laughed weakly, eyes wide with a terror he made no attempt to hide.

“Odin Dark fears no man, Lady Nerr... but _that_...” He pointed weakly to the slabs. She narrowed her eyes.

 

“You had years to tell us about this place, about this threat. We could have spent all that time mapping out a safer route, but because you and your friends decided to shirk the one duty you had, we have to go in as straight of a line as possible.” She twisted his cloak in her fingers, pulling him closer, not to her but the edge of the island. He struggled, spittle gathering in the corner of his mouth as he choked on his fear, but she held fast, forcing him to look down. “If you try to run, I promise you will not get far. _That_ is your way out, and you _will_ hit the bottom, I guarantee it.”

“I get it! I get it! I'm not going anywhere! Just please, let me go!!” she pushed him away from the edge, and while he stumbled a bit, he did not fall. Camilla had been watching the exchange with a critical eye, but she simply smiled as the mage attempted to straighten his cloak with shaking fingers.

 

“A poor choice of words, Odin. A crueler commander would've sent you flying for even implying such insubordination.” Perhaps her words were meant as a cold comfort. His breathing only grew more ragged.

“I didn't--! ...I'm sorry. I... I... I should go back to camp. Lord Leo will not be pleased to hear about this.” He spun around and took off in a run before either princess could dare to stop him. Camilla watched him retreat for a few seconds longer before turning her attention back to her sister.

“You aren't actually planning to throw them off one of these islands, are you?” Nerr's eyes remained fixed on the yellow spot that was quickly becoming smaller.

“I should hope not. I pray the fear makes them a bit more forthcoming with their information. It's obvious they know more than they're letting on, even now.”

“Do you really think threatening them with death is the key to loosening their lips, though?” The younger woman finally looked up at her sister.

 

“Your method clearly isn't working. Or has asking _no_ questions and giving them blind trust yielded answers I'm not aware of?” She began to walk away, turning to face her sister even as she marched away, an anger she had forgotten bubbling to the surface. “The nerve of you and Xander, not trusting me while you hold absolute faith in complete strangers from across the sea. I ought to throw one of you two off this island to give the others a _real_ reason to distrust my judgment.”

“Nerr!” She turned her back as Camilla called out to her, her voice hurt, affronted. She broke into a run, but that only lasted a few second at most, until she was deep within the maze of abandoned homes. Her steps slowed, and eventually stopped.

 

Standing there, she inhaled deeply several times, the smells of mouldering wood and ancient dust calming her heart but not her mind. _'I lead a band of strangers, some of whom I don't know and more of whom I don't trust, into the awaiting jaws of death..._ ' As alone as she felt in her foolishness, she was not so narcissistic as to believe she was the first idiot to try such a thing. They did not write songs and cantos for the failures. She shut her eyes tightly until they hurt, allowing herself a moment of self-pity. ' _I just wanted to be a soldier..._ _'_ To take orders, not give them. To be held responsible for no one's life but her own... What she wouldn't give to simply fight the war she was promised.

000

 

Nerr returned to their camp before Camilla (though she had stopped several times to make sure her sister was still behind her before running ahead, well aware that she was being extremely petty all the while). The gutted remains of the homes formed a crude sort of lean-to, but in the mild weather of Valla, that was more than enough. Several fire burned, and the smell of beans and rice rose from two of them, one manned by the Hoshidans, the other the Nohrians. Beans, at least, were a familiar smell to Nerr, one that was as much a part of her life in the Citadel as training, but that didn't stop it from turning her stomach. That came as no surprise to her, no more than Gunther approaching her with a still steaming cup of tea that she grabbed absentmindedly, the metal burning her through her gloves. She paid the pain little mind, her attention focused on the one thing that actually did surprise her. Leo sat on a broken piece of wall, exchanging heated words with Elise- nothing odd there- and to her confusion, Hinoka as well.

 

“What's, uh... what's going on here?” She asked her betrothed. The knight's lips curled into a frown.

“Prince Leo's retainer informed us of the... 'hiccup'. Princess Hinoka is of a mind that we should press on so long as we still have light; she claims to have seen the island when she and Lady Azura were scoping the way to the capital and says the actual size is much smaller than the trees would have us believe.”

“If you have a problem with the speed we're making, perhaps you should carry a bit of the load involved in the actual travel.” Leo had raised his voice enough for it carry to where Nerr was standing. “I need to rest before I collapse, because we _definitely_ won't be going anywhere then.” She couldn't hear it, but she knew Hinoka had scoffed from the way she moved her hands.

 

“You're casting a single spell every two or three days; how much effort can that take? You aren't even walking- you're practically sewn to that horse.”

“It takes more effort than going for a leisurely fly and flapping your gums, I can assure you. But I hardly expect a Hoshidan to understand what 'effort' is; were it not for the common tongue, I wouldn't expect the word to be in you savage vocabulary.” Elise covered her mouth with her hands, before balling them at her side and stomping angrily.

“Leo, that's mean! The Hoshidans are supposed to be our allies!”

“Oh, shut the hell up, Elise! You're just as weak and ignorant as they are! If you had applied yourself to anything more than playing at being a princess for the last decade, you could actually be of some help now. But no; we coddled you, and now you're _worthless._ What are you going to do when we all die, other than find a corner to hide and cry in?”

 

It was clear that the young girl had been fighting with all her might to hold in her tears as her brother all but screamed at her, but her battle was a losing one, and all at once, her face crumpled as she began weeping. Xander, who had stopped his discussion with Ryouma to watch his siblings' shouting match, approached the girl, his arms open and inviting to an embrace. Rather than accept his comfort, Elise pushed him away, running past to Azura of all people, who had been kneeling beside one of the fires. Even muffled by the singer's shoulder, her piteous wails were a chilling thing. Even Leo seemed disquieted by them. He stood quickly, pushing past both his brother and the Hoshidan princess to untether his horse.

 

“Leo, where are you going?”

“Someplace I can think.” Xander frowned as his brother mounted the destrier bareback.

“Don't wander too far from camp.” The younger prince sneered.

“Considering you wouldn't be able to follow me if I did, much less stop me, I don't think you're in a position to tell me what to do, Xander.” Pressing his heels to the horse's sides, he rode between the ruins at a light trot.

 

Nerr watched him go just until he passed between a second row of houses, turning her attention back to her remaining brother. The crown prince was pinching the bridge of his nose, his jaw tight. She could _hear_ his teeth grinding, but their camp was otherwise silent, save for the crackling flames and Elise's occasional sniffle. Azura had taken to rubbing her back, and Sakura was gently patting her shoulder. The quiet was unnatural, oppressive, so much so that Nerr let out an audible sigh of relief as Hinoka broke it, despite the older woman's words.

 

“...when Nerrida was first returned to Hoshido, I thought her being so angry and defiant had to be the result of some kind of dark magic, but... that's just how you all are, isn't it?”

“No--” Xander's quick denial was cut off by Camilla, who slowly rounded the corner of the broken wall. She'd either taken her sweet time in arriving, or had lingered, unseen, for quite a while.

“Yes. We're a willful bunch, though our sweet brother is usually the most collected of us all. But I'm afraid dear Leo is wont to bottle up his frustration until... well, you were there. On his behalf, I apologize for any harsh words he may have said to you.” The red haired princess grinned, though it seemed a bit strained.

 

“Don't worry about it. It takes more than an angry teenager yelling at me to hurt my feelings.” Her words were not as sincere as they could have been, but they were enough to ease the tension of the camp. Slowly, the dim chatter of conversation swelled up once more. Nerr's shoulders relaxed a bit, immediately tensing once more as heat seared her foot. She'd forgotten about the tea in her hands until they had slackened, resulting in the still scalding drink splash across her feet.

 

“Gods, Nerr, what are you doing?!” Gunther knelt beside her, using the tail of his surcoat to try and mop the steaming liquid from her exposed skin. The pressure burned even more, but she bit her tongue.

“It's fine. It barely hurts.”

“It is _not_ fine. You burn yourself in the this putrid hellhole, then it get infected and the next thing you know, we have to cut your foot off before it spreads.” She felt her bowels clench, but tried to brush his concerns off.

“You said the same thing when I got chilblains on my feet five years ago, and you were wrong then too.”

“That was five years ago. Five _months_ ago, I could hack off your nose and it wouldn't leave a mark.” The knight stood, gripping her chin lightly and turning her head. She could feel his eyes burning into that deep line across her cheek. “Now is not then, my lady. You are not so invincible as you think. Drink your tea.” She didn't want to, she'd have been happy dumping it out, but she could not abide such waste and at least the burning in her mouth and throat helped distract her from the burning humiliation that inflamed her cheeks. She drained the cup in four large gulps, gagging as she finished.

 

“Gods above, that's bitter even for you! What did you put in that; posion?!”

“I admit, it was more tonic than tea. I'd hoped the tea would mask the bitterness, but I grossly overestimated my abilities as a tea master.” A dark cloud seemed to settle behind his eyes. “Jakob was so good at making tea... If nothing else, I should have praised him for that...” His voice was so quiet it could barely even be called a whisper, a miserable exhale that twisted Nerr's heart to hear. She stared down at her cup, wishing she had just kept her mouth shut, but her gaze wandered and annoyance bit into her sadness.

 

“Gods, but you're a hypocrite, Gunther.”

“What?”

“You chew me out over the dangers of a little burn and completely ignore that your leg is on fire!” The old man gave her a bemused look.

“I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about, Nerr.” Her brows furrowed, just as confused as him.

“Do you really not feel that?” She looked back down. He'd removed his greaves some time while she had been scouting with Camilla and Odin, and his faded black trousers were stained even darker from the knee down on his right leg. Even if most of the tea had splashed onto his boot, there was no way he'd felt _nothing_ through that cheap cotton. Gunther followed her gaze, his confusion quickly giving way to his usual stolid expression.

 

“Oh. That leg's more scar than skin; I scarcely feel anything in it anymore.” That did _nothing_ to make her feel better, and he must have seen it in her face as his own softened. He leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead, letting them linger a moment. If she closed her eyes, perhaps she could pretend they were back in Cyrkensia, but before she could even try, he pulled away. “If it puts your mind at ease, I'll drink a tonic as well. And I won't drink it with any tea to mask it.”

“How is you not suffering through your cooking supposed to make _me_ feel better?” Gunther laughed, a short, but sincerely happy sound. That eased some of the tightness in her heart just as much, if not more so, than the quick kiss he planted on her temple as he turned and walked back out to where her sister's palfrey grazed on the clumps of grass. Left alone, Nerr fiddled with the cup awkwardly, melancholy settling over her like dew. She considered approaching Azura and her younger sisters, but a flash of yellow from the corner of her eye distracted her. She didn't know where Odin had been hiding all this time, but he appeared from behind their camp, walking backwards as he dragged a stick through the soil. Every few steps, he would fish something from his bag and place it outside the line he was drawing. Frowning, she approached, noticing that they were small stones, some kind of crystals.

 

“What are you doing?”

“I've known Lord Leo for years. He's never had an outburst like that, not once, no matter how upset he was.” The mage said lowly, not once taking his work as he continued marking the ground. “There's a dark presence here... Something evil.” A sudden, derisive laugh caused him to flinch, snapping the branch he held. His strange friends from across the sea had been sitting around one of the closer fires. Selena leaned back on her hands, her sword laying across her lap, a polishing cloth beside her.

“Oh, thank Naga we have you to tell us there's evil _here_. All these monsters thus far must have just been trying to ask for directions, because _this_ is where all the evil is.” Odin's eye twitched as he gripped what remained of the stick tighter, his knuckles white.

 

“Yeah, Selena, this _is_ where the evil is. And maybe if you ever concerned yourself with bettering yourself in _anything_ , you would have the magical acumen to notice it too!” The red-haired woman stood up quickly, her sword falling to the ground.

“I'd rather be good at one thing than mediocre at two, unlike _some_ people!”

“Now now, everyone just calm down. There's no need to fight.” Lazwald remained seated, his tone light but his smile forced. “Why don't you just put down the stick and sit and relax with us--”

“You do enough relaxing for five men, Inigo! And you can lay off the charm, too; I'm not the cheap tavern doxies that works on.” The older man's smile dropped at once.

“I didn't--”

“No, you never did anything, and you were never going to. I should've realized what your plan was the moment you decided to remain a sellsword. You never should have come here, you worthless layabouts. Both of you!”

 

Selena inhaled sharply, her eyes flashing, looking for all the world like she was about to scream, but she simply flipped her long hair over her shoulder and marched off, head held high. She stopped only long enough to scuff out part of the line Odin had drawn. With a curse, he immediately redrew it, before continuing his circle around their camp. Nerr quietly let out the breath she had been holding. They had forgotten she was there, and thank the gods for that because she did _not_ want to get caught in the middle of their quarrels. Carefully, she began backing away, hoping to retreat to a dark corner unnoticed. For a blissful second, she thought she had succeeded, but Lazwald's voice destroyed that hope.

 

“I'm sorry you had to bear witness to that, milady. Heights have always had a... peculiar effect on Odin, and Selena...” He shrugged haplessly.

“I don't expect discipline from mercenaries. But I have to agree with the blonde one. I've known him the least amount of time, yet he's the only one of you three that actually seems to give the remotest damn about Anankos.” Lazwald turned around and grinned at her in a way that made her want to kick him in the teeth.

“Odin's always had a kinship with tales of dragons and mystic powers.”

“That explains why _he's_ here. It doesn't explain why _you're_ here. Why are you here if you refuse to help?”

 

“Well, I _am_ a sellsword. I go where I paid to, and someone paid me dearly to come here and help you, milady.” There was something teasing in his tone, but she had no patience for that. The dishonesty in his eyes offended her on a personal level, and Nerr knelt down before him, leaning in close.

“I am not so stupid as whatever poor fool wasted his savings on you. If _I_ had hired you, I'd demand every coin back before I gutted you and hung you with your own innards.” There was nothing teasing in _her_ tone, the pressure building in her forehead fueling her anger. Lazwald's fingers twitched in the dust. If he so much as breathed in the direction of his companion's forgotten sword, she would crack his skull with her cup without hesitation. Fortunately, he had a bit more sense than to take up arms against her.

 

“I _want_ to help you, Lady Nerr. If you believe nothing else I say, believe that. I wouldn't have agreed to leave my home, everything I knew and everyone I loved, if I didn't.”

“Then why don't you?”

“I don't know _how_.” He admitted weakly, his voice hoarse. “Isn't that obvious? In the stories when someone slays a dragon, it's always some divine hero doing all the work while schmucks like me just stand slack jawed in the background...” That he would have the audacity to pity himself while admitting that he fully intended the likes of her to do all the work was just about all she could stomach. She climbed back to her feet.

 

“My brother is a bigger fool than I ever could have imagined if he saw something of worth in you. What are you even good for?” His cheeks flushed slightly, but he didn't even have to good graces to look ashamed of himself.

“My mother could invigorate soldiers to fight twice as hard with her dancing. I've practiced all my life to be like her... It's a bit embarrassing, but if you'd like, perhaps I could lift your spirits with a private session?” So he was like Azura, a glorified performer? But she had seen and felt the effects of the Vallite princess's music, and knew that there was some magic in her song. The second-hand embarrassment she felt for this Lazwald (or, what had Odin called him? Inigo? She wasn't surprised that a mercenary would have many names) was so strong that it made her skin itch. Or maybe that was the tonic she'd drunk.

 

“I'm not interested in whatever miserable flailing you call 'dancing', nor your pitiful attempts to be erotic. I have a headache, and dealing with the likes of you is only exacerbating it.”

“Truly?” His grin was gone, thin brows now drawn in concern (or a very good facsimile of concern). He reached into the pouch at his hip and pulled out a clay bottle, smaller than a vulnerary. “Good thing I stocked up on these tonics before we left for the border. That merchant would sell snow to the Ice Tribe and overcharge them for it, but her wares can't be beat.” He held it out and, reluctantly, Nerr took it. She'd just drunk a tonic, but they weren't that strong, and often required multiple doses to heal what a single round with a staff could mend. She unstoppered it, but did not raise it to her lips, keeping her eyes locked on the man at her feet.

 

“I warn you now- dragons don't die as easily as humans. If I start feeling sick after I drink this, I'm going to see exactly how long a man can dance without feet.” She searched his face intently for any sign of fear or concern. Either it had been too slight for her to notice, or else, he wasn't worried. She swallowed the thick, bitter concoction slowly, trying to suss out any off flavors, but medicine was always so bitter that she wouldn't have been able to detect anything regardless. Once the bottle was empty, Lazwald simply smiled at her.

“I hope you feel better soon, milady. Perhaps a good night's sleep will see you well in the morning.” _'Yeah, that's just what some shifty foreign assassin would say...'_

 

Patches of the sky grew darker, and by the time the majority of them had turned the rich navy of Nohr's night, everyone had settled in their camp. Leo and Selena both returned, at different times from different directions, and while the woman's face was still rigid with annoyance (she put as much distance between herself and Odin as possible), Leo looked just as he always did. Elise turned away from him with a huff, but he paid her no mind as he sat besides their other siblings. Nerr held a bowl of watery soup between her thighs, but only stirred it absentmindedly, staring into the flames as she addressed her siblings.

 

“We need to send a message to our soldiers now that we're approaching the castle. If Anankos is there- I say 'if', we _know_ he's there- it will take more than a dozen blades to put him down. The Ancient Ones fought each other with armies for a reason.” She could feel Xander staring at her and made a conscious effort to ignore him. “Even if we can return to the border without issue, it would take weeks to return to Shirasagi, and more weeks to bring a caravan back. I can't imagine Garon allowing a host of his soldiers to travel to the border for gods only know what.”

“He _would_ know what.” Azura reminded them grimly. “He is working in allegiance with Anankos. If he got wind of any number of soldiers marching to the Chasm, he would know exactly what we were doing.”

 

“My father's host is unavailable to us.” Xander spoke evenly, but the furrow between his brows was so deep, he could have held a coin between them. “The Ice Tribe keeps a well-armed militia, but I can't imagine their Chieftain being willing to part with his men for something so outlandish as bringing a god to it's knees.”

“The Cheve would have helped us...” Ryouma's tone was bitter as he stared into the flames, their light in no way lessening the darkness behind his eyes. Nohr's crown prince looked at him, frowning.

“No, they wouldn't. They would be rioting in Windmire now, demanding my father's head on a spike.”

“He had his lackeys murder the common folk as a warning!”

 

“The punishment for treason has always been death. Your rebels and their supporters would not be the exception to that rule.” A tic had been going off in Ryouma's cheek, his eyes manic in their anger, a far cry from the cold, emotionless mask that was Xander's face, but before the Hoshidan prince could voice his fury, another's voice interrupted him.

“So should we return to Nohr, does that mean you would gladly offer your neck to the executioner's block, my prince?” Gunther sat behind Nerr, resting his chin on interlocked fingers as he watched the royals argue. That stoic look shattered, giving way to fury.

“I have done nothing--”

“--nothing but conspiring against the king, and with Hoshidans no less!” Xander was practically foaming at the mouth, and when she looked over her shoulder, Nerr realized her betrothed was enjoying every second of it. “That's high treason if ever I've seen it, milord. And from the king's first-born son? You should be grateful if he hangs you and calls it a day.”

 

“I will not have you say such things against my father!”

“I've said nothing against the king. For all his many, _many_ faults, at least he's honest about who he is. You, Prince Xander, are a coward and a hypocrite of the highest order. _And_ a traitor.” The blonde man was getting to his feet, and it was clear the fire between him and the source of his fury would not be enough to stop him. Nerr stood quicker than he could manage, nearly falling down as the world seemed to spin beneath her feet. Gunther reached out to steady her, but she kicked his hand away.

“I'm fine, I-- I said I'm fine! Don't! Both of you! ...shut up. Just shut the fuck up. Neither of you are contributing anything. Xander, your attitude that Garon's atrocities are always justified is exactly _why_ we can't expect any help from the Ice Tribe.”

 

“They were _rebels..._ ” He seethed.

“ _The civilians were not rebels!_ ” She turned to the older knight, whose cruel grin faded the moment she fixed him with a burning gaze. “And _you_... Why are you being such an _ass?_ ”

“I'm not.” Gunther deadpanned. “I'm pointing out facts. It's not my fault those facts hurt your feelings, Nerr. Garon is many things, but a fool is not one of them. He will find out that he has been deceived, that his own children are working with the Hoshidans, and he will not care to what end. If your brother returns to Nohr for soldiers, he will be captured and thrown in the dungeons as a traitor. If your sister returns to Nohr for soldiers, she will be captured and thrown in the dungeons as a traitor. If _you_ return to Nohr for soldiers, you will be captured and thrown back into your cell under the Citadel, and this time, _you will not leave it._ ” He looked past her legs at her brothers and sisters, the flames dancing over his face making the scars there even more distorted.

“Stupid children... you think you've seen your king's anger? You know nothing. He will burn his kingdom to the ground with you in it before he lets you take it from him.” The Nohrian royals remained silent in the face of his dark promise. Even Xander held his tongue, his hands clenching into tight fists atop his knees. Elise shrank against her sister's side.

 

“That's not... Father wouldn't do that, would he?”

“It's not a risk I would be willing to take.” Leo told her plainly, though his downcast eyes and frown revealed that he was no happier to hear that painful truth than her. Nerr looked between her siblings and betrothed. The world flashed like lightning every time she blinked and her head was swimming, but those flaring tempers had seemingly burnt out. She was grateful there would be no fisticuffs over the fire, but the foreboding mood wasn't much of an improvement. She slowly sat back down, sudden aware of how loud the crackling wood actually was. The silence stretched on, and thankfully, Hinoka spoke up, relieving at least _some_ of the tension.

 

“Nohr may be out, but Hoshido isn't as weak as you think. We might have to leave a decent amount of soldiers in the capital, but we can call on the provinces to send us a dozen soldiers each. Twenty good men from the Wind Tribe could hold Susano-O if they had a mind to.”

“And you don't think that Fuuga-sama would want to keep those good men for when the Nohrian army sweeps over them?” Takumi asked bitterly.

“King Garon might leave something behind when he invades,” Azura reminded him gently. “Anankos won't.” Her fingers tapping rapidly on her thigh looked like a spider's frantic legs. “I might be able visit some of the provinces without having to go to the border. It might take a few days, but that's better than weeks.”

 

“How will you bring them back?” Nerr asked, already certain she knew what the singer's answer would be. Azura stopped tapping, struggling to keep her fingers still and failing.

“I haven't figured that out yet...” Ryouma spoke to her, reassuring her in a comforting voice, but Nerr could barely pick out two of his words. The pain had finally left her head, but it felt so heavy. She drew her knees to her chest, resting her head atop them so she wouldn't have to hold it up. She should have been figuring out how to test if the Chasm was still open (short of throwing her brother's retainer down into the sky and seeing if he came back), but gods it was hard to collect her thoughts.

 

They trailed off and changed midway through, and the whole thing was an exercise in futility as her eyes kept drifting shut. It easily went unnoticed, but when she _did_ notice, the princess forced them open. Someone else was talking, not Ryouma, but she couldn't even tell if they were male or female. It couldn't have been Elise, because she had vanished, and only a heartbeat later Takumi had followed suit. The others changed positions as though they were in a stage play, until Nerr opened her eyes and found herself too far from the fire to see where _anyone_ was. Frowning, she tried to get up, though perhaps “tried” was generous. She could barely manage to roll over, fingers ineffectively scrambling at the ground for purchase, a ground which felt far less cold.

 

She didn't remember removing her gauntlets, but she must have. Raising her head took so much effort that she was almost grateful for the hand that pushed her face back to the blanket beneath her, lingering to stroke a thumb over her cheek. Gunther was saying something to her, she could hear his voice, but the only word she could understand was “sleep”, she didn't need to be told that. Leadened eyelids had already fallen shut, despite her wanting to say... something. She couldn't even hold onto her thoughts, everything slipping away from her as she was pulled back into the realm of unconsciousness.

 

_The Chasm was dark and stripped bare of what little signs of life once dotted it. No trees or forts, just an endless expanse of black earth that shifted and rippled like water. Every step felt as though it she was dragging her feet through molasses,_ _obscured stones tripping her. She ran, but seemed to gain no ground. And even so, even feeling like every inch she crawled would be her last as the effort was too much for the lack of results, she continued dragging her feet, propelling herself forward._

 

_Every step saw the sky grow lighter, from an inky black to a rich indigo, all the way to a downcast gray. And as her surroundings grew brighter, she found she could see better. Twisted rocks jutted from the ground around her like teeth, but even as she wondered what beast's maw she was walking across, she found her quarry. Jakob was no longer standing near the lip of the canyon, but just in front of her, almost within arm's reach. He stretched out her hand, but the earth was pulling her in, pulling her away._

 

“ _No! No, wait, come back!” Don't leave me all alone here, she wanted to cry, but her tongue felt as heavy as her legs._ _She was too afraid to look back, to see how much ground she had actually covered, keeping her eyes on the figure of her retainer. “Please! I'm sorry you died!” Eyes peeled open on the twisted stones, on the ground beneath her, even up in the sky, sickly and jaundiced and staring into her soul, judging her, blaming her. Jakob's eyes. She had to get closer, had to look him in the eye and apologize. Putting on a burst of speed that didn't change how fast she moved but made her thighs burn something fierce, the princess tried to close the gap between them. She was almost there, just a few more feet...! Lips opened beneath her and her foot sank into the gaping mouth, ankle scraping against the teeth_ _as she fell and landed on her knee._

 

Nerr blinked and the world grew even brighter, too bright for her to make anything out but the endless blue-gray beneath her. Thick clouds swirled, obscuring whatever may have laid beneath the island, and as she saw her left leg dangling over the edge of a broken stone slab, she realized how close she had come to finding out. Gods, where was she? What was she doing there? The pain in her bloody heel was all the proof she needed that this was no longer a dream, but where were the others? Were they marching? Pulling herself back away from the sky below, Nerr scuttled backwards, limbs tingling sharply as though they had been asleep, stopping only as her back collided with something solid enough, yet with more give than she would have assumed any wall could have. Looking back, her eyes panned up, stomach sinking further the higher she looked.

 

Murky water coated the rusted greaves she had hit like a thick film. It was not the liquid made solid she had grown almost used to in this place, no. It was more solid than the cursed water, almost like gelatin. Suspended within it's depths were charred cloth and chunks of meat and fragments of bone she could just barely make out, an aspic shaped like a man that loomed over her, silent. The closest thing it had to a face were the dark, swirling pools where it's eyes may have once sat, a jaw bone suspended near it's neck. There was hair. They never had hair, they were all amorphous blobs that were easy to forget were human once, but this one had hair. Short and crispy, just a few clumps, and within them only a few strands retained their color, but that silvery gray had haunted her nightmares as she watched it turn to ash every night. ' _Jakob...?'_ She couldn't ask, couldn't even voice the most pitiful squeak, horror choking her and leaving her mouth working silently. It-- _he_ moved faster than she expected, grabbing her skull and squeezing.

 

She tried to pull away, but the slimy fluid was engulfing her, covering her eyes and nose and mouth, foul, sour water choking her as it trickled down her throat. Her efforts to escape were half-hearted at best. Sorrow and horror drained her of her will to fight. Was _that_ why the nightmares wouldn't stop? Because he never found peace after he died, because Anankos had pulled what was left of the young man from his grave and twisted him into this mockery of a person? Her eyes burned, from tears or the viscous fluid washing over them, she could not tell. Nerr clawed at his arms, trying to puncture the membrane that held him together, but her nails were short and ragged, unable to do anything but scrape the surface. One of them deflated suddenly, spilling cold jelly and bits of flesh over her face and neck but finally allowing her enough freedom to wrench her neck away and gasp for breath. Several daggers lay in the putrid puddle, Hoshidan in design, but Nerr did not waste time trying to make sense of them, instead scrambling to her feet, trying to run and reaching on instinct for her sword, only to have her slimy hand grab at thin air.

 

She stopped short. That was right, she had taken it off while she supped, had removed almost all her armor save for her mail shirt, had thought that the stone walls surrounding them would protect them enough to allow for a single night's respite. ' _Stupid, stupid...!'_ This was not the side of the island she had visited with Camilla and Odin. The ruined houses were wrong, there were trees, some with long rotten fruit piled at their roots- nothing looked familiar. Nothing but the shinobi standing atop a half-collapsed roof, readying another handful of kunai.

 

“Nerr-sama! I'll hold it off! You run!”

“Run _where?_ I don't know where we are!”

“That way!” He pointed a blade down the alley, behind the watery beast. “The others have already woken, they'll be coming from there!” A thick, heavy sloshing froze her legs as she looked over her shoulder.

 

Whatever physical scraps Anankos had cobbled together from Jakob, he had taken none of the _right_ things. This ungainly shuffle would have disgraced him had he been conscious to realize what he was doing, stumbling and dripping bits of skin and cloth. Her mind screamed at her to move, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the tiny bones littering the ground. Fingers, they seemed to her, fingers that used to hand her cups of tea and clear away her books and comb her hair... Fingers that she and Gunther had worked so hard to bury so they wouldn't be scattered around like this, like scraps from a table to be dragged off by vermin. Another kunai whizzed past her shoulder. Jakob's remains shuddered as the gash on it's arm began leaking heavily, the stench of rotting meat growing stronger.

 

“Why are you just standing there!? _RUN!_ ” It took far too much conscious thought, a mental order of _Right_ _foot,_ _left_ _foot_ , to make her body move. The first few steps were the hardest, but each one after became easier, until her trot became a jog and soon, she was running harder than she'd run in forever, the ruins blurring into each other as she pushed herself to go faster, faster. She heard voices, some calling her name, some speaking phrases unintelligible to her frantic mind, but couldn't tell if it was her ears that heard, or only her mind. She ignored them, ignored the burning in her thighs and the stabbing in her heels, and almost ignored the massive black wall that appeared without warning from one of the alleys directly into her path. She skidded and stumbled in her attempt to stop quickly, losing her balance and hitting the ground hard.

 

“Big sister!” The ringing in her ears was disorienting, and her pounding heart and lack of breath made everything harder to see, but the hands that grabbed her arm and pulled were neither cold nor wet nor falling apart, so she didn't fight them. She only recognized that it was Takumi by his hair, and only after she had grabbed his shoulder to lean on as she fought to catch her breath. Xander rode over to them, gripping Siegfried tightly.

“How many?” He didn't bother asking where she had been or what she had been doing, and she was grateful for that. Even so, Nerr shook her head.

“I-- I don't know. There was only one, but--”

“--but there are always others.” Azura finished for her. “ Were you near the edge of the island?” Golden eyes narrowed when she nodded. “We need to get across as quickly as possible, then, before they overwhelm us and make crossing impossible.”

 

“What if they're already on the other island?” Takumi asked. Beneath her hand, Nerr could feel just how tense his shoulders were. Shura took his bow in hand, cracking his neck.

“Then we fight over there. Unless you wanna die making a last stand here?”

“The bridges are on the other side. We sent our retainers to check, but that side is much closer to the next island over.” Camilla had begun mounting her wyvern when the retainers in question appeared from the east, swords and tome drawn, a frantic panic tightening their features. Lazwald skidded to a stop before his liege.

“That side of the island is completely swarmed, milord. There have to be at least fifty or sixty of them. Maybe a hundred!”

“I don't know how they got here!” Selena looked more angry than afraid, but there was definitely a gleam of fear in her russet eyes. “We scouted! We looked everywhere! There's nowhere a hundred of those things could've hidden! It's like they knew we were here all of a sudden!”

 

“They _did.”_ Odin's voice was dark. “My protective seal was broken this morning, either by Lady Nerr or Kaze when he went after her. _That_ was how they were alerted to our presence.” The hairs on the back of Nerr's neck prickled as a coldness took hold in her gut. No... no, those things could've been lurking _under_ the island. They'd probably known the moment they set foot on land.

“This is _not_ my fault.” She hissed at the mage.

“Of course it's not.” Xander's voice was flippant, but she would rather he not care about accusations lobbed at her rather than seriously consider them. “Those things have been on us from the moment we arrived in Valla. Fortunately, it seems that they haven't figured out where we are exactly. We can't give them a chance to catch up.” The draconic princess nodded.

 

“We have to go the way I came from. There was only one of them.” Just one. Just Jakob, all alone like she had left him on that first island... “Just be as quiet as possible. We don't need anything alerting them to our presence when our backs are against a wall.” Hinoka laughed humorlessly, leading her pegasus on foot.

“Right now, I'd give anything for a nice, solid wall to put my back against.” She had a point. They could be overwhelmed in close quarters, but at least they wouldn't have to contend with falling to their deaths. They were all thinking it, their faces grim, their shoulders tense with iron grips on their weapons as they followed Nerr back down the lane she'd just run from.

 

Every shadow seemed to move within the half-collapsed homes, every rustle of the leaves or groan of ancient wood making one of them jump. It was no surprise then that when a figure slid fluidly from one of the roofs that no less than five blades focused on it. Kaze straightened as his feet hit the ground, his hands raised, though one still gripped a dagger.

 

“Is it still clear back there?” Nerr tried to keep her tone even, but was already preparing for the worse, trying to figure our how they were going to cleave their way through a pincer maneuver. Fortunately, the shinobi nodded, holstering his blade after wiping it on his pant leg.

“Once you left, I dispatched the creature that attacked you.”

“Dispatched?” She prayed no one heard the creep of disappointment in her voice, or at least took it for doubt. It was a mindless beast, an abomination that should not have walked the earth in the first place, but her memory of it was already twisting it into something more familiar. She'd seen it's eyes... only for a moment, but they looked so much like Jakob's...

 

“It melted when I attacked it, like all the others. It didn't seem like any more were coming, but I was unwilling to remain there alone regardless.”

“Let us hope it stays that way.” Ryouma's voice was dark as he pushed ahead, sheathing his blade but keeping his hand on the grip.

 

The edge of their little world as as desolate as it had been when Nerr first awoke there. While her siblings scanned the empty homes for any sign of lurking monstrosities, she found her eyes glued to the dry, gray sand at her feet. There should have been at least one verdant patch, a lush marker where the beast had fallen, but she saw nothing save for a few scraps of cloth, and what might have been a nail if she let her eyes linger on it. Their destination was still within their sight, but it seemed much farther away this time. Leo shook his head, not even bothering to dismount.

 

“There's no way, come Hell or high water, that I can make path spanning that far.” On the side they had investigated, the side they had intended to cross, the distance between the islands was probably less than a mile. From here, it might have been nearly two.

“Maybe we can fly across.” Hinoka suggested. “Kinka can make a few trips, and Princess Camilla's wyvern can probably make even more.”

“That would be fine,” Xander stated plainly. “But what of our steeds? Our supplies? And unfortunately, I doubt a hollow-boned horse is going to be be able to carry knights in full armor very far, or for very long...” The discussion turned to estimations of how far away the capital was, how much, if any, food they might find there. The beginning of an inkling to see if Lilith couldn't somehow bring them supplies was just beginning to take form in Nerr's head when she noticed Gunther pacing along the edge of the island. Every step he took felt like a cold fist closing around her heart, she could still see him falling into the darkness of the Chasm so vividly. Her feet carried her over to him before she even realized what she was doing, trying to drag him back towards the others, as far away from death as possible, but he'd planted his heels.

 

“What are you doing, Gunther?! Get away from there before you fall!” He paid her fear no more mind than he paid her, eyes staunchly focused on the ground.

“Do you feel that?”

“What?” Grabbing her shoulders, he moved her to stand where he had.

“ _That._ Tell me I'm not losing my mind; tell me you feel that.” It took a moment for her eyes to focus and realize she was standing atop the ruins of one of the bridge she had nearly run off of, and a moment longer before she felt the tingling in her toes.

 

“Yeah, it's a Dragon Vein. So--” The words left her mouth before she realized their implication. “You actually feel that?” The knight breathed a sigh of relief, finally moving away and pulling her back as well.

“Oh, thank the gods that's what that was. I thought I was having a stroke.” In a less stressful time, with less dire straits, Nerr would have been vibrating with joy and excitement, but now her hands shook only from her anxious dread. She called over to her siblings.

“There's a Dragon Vein here!”

“Use it!” Elise exclaimed urgently, but Azura held up a hand to stop her.

 

“That might not be such a good idea. What does it do?” By that point, the draconic princess' ragged nerves had reached their breaking point.

“How the fuck should I know that?! Is there a sign here that I haven't noticed? It's active; it does _something_ , and that's more than we're going to accomplish by standing here and waiting for these monsters to finally sniff us out.” She didn't wait for anyone else to voice their concerns, marching back over to the stone and raising an arm. She could feel the energy surging through the soles of her feet, twisting around every tendon and vein as it filled her body and searched for an outlet. It found it, making her palm itch and sting as it escaped. She thought she could feel the ground rumble a bit, quickly putting a good few feet between her and the edge, but... that was it. She braced herself, as did the others, waiting for something, but it appeared nothing was happening. Shura was the first to relax, slinging his bow across his back and crossing his arms.

 

“Damn. And here I was hoping it would spin us 'round and get us closer. You sure you did it right, princess?” She turned on her heel, scowling at him.

“I _felt_ it work. Unless you'd like to have a go--” Takumi interrupted her, pointing past her shoulder.

“ _Something's_ getting closer. Move!” She tried to turn around, but her brother was pulling her back towards the homes. She'd only taken a few steps before a thunderous crunch tore through her ears. The shock wave through the ground felt as though it had physically struck her, dropping both Nerr and Takumi to their knees as the others stumbled and fell, their mounts panicking.

 

“What the hell was that!?” Azura clutched at her chest with one hand while trying to keep herself upright with the other. Sakura, who was clutching weakly to her skirt, pointed a badly shaking hand at the edge of the island.

“L-look! There's a-- a-- it's a--” She was stuttering too badly to even complete her thought, but by then, they had all seen it. Another stone had collided with the remnants of the bridge, extending it a good six feet into the sky. And off in the distance, more seemed to be coming, all at varying speeds. Nerr pushed herself up, a feat in and of itself as her limbs felt like stone while her pulse tried to regulate itself.

 

“I didn't spin us 'round, but it looks like we're getting closer.” Still kneeling, Takumi shook his head, staring at the approaching stones as though they had cursed his name.

“How do we know they can even support our weight? Or any weight? We could step onto one of them and have it drop out of the sky! We need to--”

 

Whatever the younger boy thought they needed to do was lost to the eerie howl that rang out across the land. It seemed to come from a solitary source, but before the echo even faded, more joined in. Growls and shrieks that could not come from human throats, underlaid by a percussive thumping that grew louder with every passing second.

 

“They're coming...” Azura whispered, her voice consumed by the frenzied cacophony. The first wave of monsters could already be seen, just three or four, running down the ruined street towards them. It wouldn't have even seemed a threat had the flood not been just barely visible behind them. Nerr could think of no word for it but a flood, despite only having read the word in books. There were no individuals to be seen, just a mass consuming everything in it's path. Destroying already broken walls, snapping trees, reducing everything to rubble.

 

“Run... Run! Go! Run!!” She hauled Takumi to his feet and pushed him towards the bridge, wasting no time to see if he was crossing, working only to shepherd the others there. It seemed like the horde was moving so slowly, but no. It was gaining distance, and quickly. It towered over some of the roofs, a surge of human forms some fifteen feet high, bright violet flames licking over everything, but destroying no more than the hands and feet they leapt from. The bridge, thank the gods, was holding under the weight of the dozen or so quickly trying to run across as it continued growing. Nerr had to use all her might to push Gunther and Xander onto their path, refusing set foot on the stone until she was certain no one else was behind her this time.

 

The vibrations of the stampede shook her bones, but she did not allow the discomfort to stop her, turning on her heel and running after the others. The stones were not all uniform in size, some much smaller than the others, and she had to try and maneuver around the larger cracks while keeping her speed. Some of the monsters had disentangled from the rest, faster than their fellows, and followed her, brandishing rusted swords and broken pikes. The fear of falling that normally made her hesitate was gone as if it had never been. There was no fear now but that of being overtaken. The wet slapping behind her was growing louder, but she couldn't turn to see if it was because they were getting closer or because there were more of them. She was at least catching up to the others, those on foot at the tail of the group, though Xander stayed with their end. She was not willing to stand in front of the destrier, and was grateful for her paranoia when the ground jolted beneath them.

 

Nerr caught herself as Asmodeus fell to his knees, nearly throwing his rider from his saddle. Sakura stumbled as well, her arms flapping wildly but finding nothing to grab hold of as she careened over the edge. Her eyes bulged in terror as a black gauntlet closed around her wrist, roughly pulling her back. Xander did not wait to see if she was hurt, pushing her ahead and nearly falling off himself as the stone they were on continued drifting away from the others. Nerr turned despite herself, breath coming in ragged gasps as she finally saw what lay behind them. The creatures were still running after them. There had to be hundreds- dozens fell over the edge of the island, either running to their doom blindly or else, pushed by those behind them, but it barely made a dent in their numbers. So many were on the bridge behind them, caring nothing that the ground beneath their feet was moving. Even more fell between the stones, some of them falling into the abyss below but even more managing to pull themselves up and continue running. Xander unsheathed his sword, raising it and sending a bolt of blood red magic into their numbers. It hit one dead center, blowing a hole through it, but that did nothing to deter the others. Nerr grabbed his hand as she ran past, dragging him behind her.

 

“Run!”

“We'll be overtaken! We have to fight!”

“We _can't!_ ” There was no room to fight, and the stones were getting further apart. Realizing she was right, the prince returned Siegfried to it's sheathe and grabbed his horse's reins. The black gelding shied at the ever growing gap, throwing it's head as it's eyes bulged in terror. The undead were upon it before it could even begin backing away, colliding with the destrier with enough force to knock it down. It whickered in pain and fear, but before Xander could attempt to save his steed, Nerr pulled him. They had to jump to the other stone. Weighed down in their armor, they could have easily come up short, but she did not let that possibility cross her mind, nor did she dwell on the way her knees and ankles seemed crunch when she landed, to say nothing of her brother.

 

She had never seen fear in his eyes quite so powerful as when he watched the watery bodies trample his destrier in their single minded quest to reach their true prey. Those that did not fall followed the livings' suit, jumping and climbing after them, but they did not wait to see if the creatures got their footing. Nerr ran faster than she had ever thought herself capable of, ignoring the burn in her legs and lungs, ignoring the urge to stop every few meters to make sure she could hear the clanking of her brother behind her. All her life, she had seen him as being stronger and better than her in every way, but the only thought in her mind now, other than ' _Run!_ _'_ was how could he be so _slow?_ They would gain on him, drag him down, tear him apart while the rest crushed him to get to her... Her hand closed around the stone bouncing against her thighs, squeezing it tightly, the breaking bones and tearing muscles barely indistinguishable from anything else as her heart pounded. Dropping to all fours, she stumbled but did not fall, somehow even managing to turn her unwieldy body around without stumbling, only one foot slipping off the edge.

 

She could hear metal striking against metal, but only saw blurs that faded into one another, though one was darker than the others. That was what she focused on, almost grateful as Xander stumbled, allowing her to leap over him. She landed on the zombie nearest to him, feeling it rupture beneath her talons as it's rust-caked sword went flying. Before her brother could say a word, she grabbed his cloak in her bear trap-like jaw and began running. Anyone with a modicum of sensible thought would have realized how stupid that was, how easy it would be for the fabric to tear, to send him flying, to drop him or stumble and leave them both sitting ducks, but there was no room for sensible thought in Nerr's mind. There was nothing there now save for an instinct driven by fear, a primal response to danger. Four legs gave her something of an advantage, as did the ever increasing gaps between the stone slabs. The island ahead was getting closer, but those stones too were beginning to drift back to their previous locations. Most of the others had climbed onto solid land, those that remained on the stones being pulled up, but she wouldn't be able to reach it in time, not like this, not weighed down so heavily. Xander realized it as well, twisting in her grip.

 

“Sister! Let me go!”

 _“No!”_ She could still hear those _things_ behind them, unrelenting, unstoppable. Even if she wanted to let her brother down, she'd have had to stop lest he be sent flying, and by then, it would be too late. Leathery wings cut through the air as a dark shadow swooped down beside her. She wasn't willing to look anywhere but directly in front of her, but could hear Camilla's voice clearly.

“Xander, your hand!” She knew that despite their reaching, there was too much distance that could not be lessened- the wyvern could fly no lower or closer. Praying blindly, desperately to any god that might be listening, Nerr swung the body dangling from her jaws, feeling his cloak tear as she released him. There was no scream of terror, no cry of despair, only a triumphant shout of “I've got you!”

 

There was no moment to spare for relief as the stone she'd crossed all but flew out from under her back legs, causing her to hit the ground chest first. Winded, she scrambled to her feet before any rusted edge tried to find a gap in her scales. As long as there was distance between her and the undead, she could leap any gap without sparing a thought to fear, though the distance between the final stone and the island was considerably larger, requiring her to twist at a painful angle to even make it. The others had cleared the area, and good thing too as her wings and front legs and horns flailed wildly when she landed, and would've knocked anyone unlucky enough to be standing there off the edge. Her long body was a detriment to climbing, back legs too far down reach the stone even as she kicked desperately to try and find her footing. To think, it had just been a few weeks ago when she thought climbing up a fortress at the border was the most perilous way she could die in this form.

 

Several of the group saw her struggle and ran over to help, Gunther and Shura at the forefront, grabbing her front legs, while Kaze and Selena and even Elise grabbed her horns and wings. It was awkward and painful, but they finally succeeded in pulling her fully onto the island. Only when she felt solid ground under each and every limb did Nerr release the death grip on her dragonstone, allowing herself to shrink. Her entire body shook violently, the surge of adrenaline only beginning to wear off, leaving her feeling weak. Camilla landed her wyvern further back and Xander rolled off the saddle, each breath a trembling gasp. The bridge had completely disassembled itself, those beasts that remained atop them left with only the option to spend the rest of their empty existence trapped, or else fall to their second demise.

 

“I can't believe we made it. I've never run so fast in my life...” Takumi had stretched out on the thick grass, his bow slipping from his shaking fingers. Azura crawled away from the others, onto what was left of the bridge. She stared unblinking at the monsters, mouth slightly ajar as she shook her head in disbelief.

“They aren't supposed to come to the edge. They never have. My mother always said it was safe near the edge.” Even now, some still clung to the sides of the stones, even to the side of the island where they had been pushed knocked off. Some tried to pull themselves up, only to have the earth they clung to fall away in huge clumps, or see their arms rupture, dropping them into the gray below. Others still simply let go. Nerr wondered if they were in any way aware of their situation, or if Anankos had created them to instinctively not outlive their purpose. She sat up, immediately slumping over as much as her armor would allow.

 

“Maybe she didn't know. Or maybe that's just what Anankos _wanted_ you to think, to make you let your guard down.” Or maybe he had never felt threatened by a young girl all by her lonesome who was too afraid to seek him out. Maybe he saw them as an actual threat now. Maybe he was afraid. ' _Good_ ,' she thought furiously. ' _ **Let**_ _him be afraid...'_ Let him realize that he was being as doggedly pursued as the monstrous mis-creations he sent after them. Let his heart try to beat it's way free from his chest as hers had so many times. “At least we're safe now.” Azura looked at her sharply, a barrage of emotions battling for dominance behind her eyes.

“We are nowhere near safe, Nerr. Not here.” She pointed behind them where, hidden behind lichen-encrusted boulders and thin trees with heavy, dragging branches, a lake covered most of the land. She could not imagine how large it was, appearing to go on forever. “How do you think those things get around?”

 

“He lured us here...” Ryouma whispered, the anger in his voice violently undercut by fear. They had escaped an executioner's block only to run onto the gallows, and every step they took lead to a potential noose.

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A/N- I have no words to describe how hard it was to write this. So, _SO_ much horrible shit piled onto me while I was trying to write this that it took well over a month (not counting all the weeks I simply couldn't write for whatever reason). Fortunately, I was struck by inspiration several times, and I pray to the muses that inspiration continues to strike. I'm really, _really_ trying to build tension and suspense. I know my efforts are probably falling flat, but I'm working on it harder than you can believe. I want this to have a terror element, but I feel like the things that scare me either _only_ scare me, or I just don't have the skill to convey it. Regardless of if my points of action stick or not, I hope you all at least think I'm doing something good with the Vallite soldiers. They had _so_ much potential (they're zombies... made of water... that are on fire. How do you fuck that up?!), and I just want to realize it.


	21. The Warning Line

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Ch.21- “The Warning Line”

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A/N- “ _Only a hero would dare...”_

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Finding solid ground was a trying task. Despite climbing up the farthest bank of the lake, almost everywhere Nerr poked with the Yato still revealed spongy peat, muddy water bubbling up from the hole that was left behind. Some of the stones that jutted from the ground were flat enough to stand on, and she balanced precariously on two of them as she took in the full extent of their new, watery hell. A carpet of leaves covered the ground, bright green on top, thick and black with rot beneath, the lake lapping at the thick roots that snaked into the damp soil of the bank. Somewhere in the distance she could hear running water, a stream perhaps, but could see very little for the heavy blue mist that blanketed the area.

 

“What do you see?” Takumi called up to her.

“A whole lot of nothing...” It was a very beautiful nothing, like something she would have read about in her books, but not somewhere she wanted to be. “I don't know how we're going to get across this, to say nothing of our horses.”

“The horses won't be a problem,” Leo informed them deftly. “ _We_ will be. Who knows how deep these lakes are. If we fall in them with armor, that's it.” Sakura twisted the hem of her skirt. Even from where she stood, Nerr could see that the once pristine silk was ragged, a fraying tear growing larger the more the young girl pulled at it.

 

“M-maybe you could t-take it off? Just for a-a little while...?” Leo turned slowly to face her, his brows furrowed as if she _meant_ those words as an affront.

“You can pry me from this armor when I'm dead and cold, and not a moment sooner. I'll gladly drown before I let those things tear me apart.” Elise whimpered behind him, moving closer to her palfrey as though it could protect her.

“I wish I had some armor now...”

“Armor won't stop them--” Nerr had already begun sliding and stumbling down the bank before Gunther could finish his grim reminder.

 

“Armor doesn't _need_ to stop them. Because they're not going to do anything to us.” There was only a small lip of shore, and she had to be careful not to fall in herself, but so long as what lay beneath her wasn't just empty _sky_ , the fear of falling was practically nonexistent. “We just need to keep our guard up. Weapons out. I think I heard running water to the north.” Shura paused in reaching for an arrow.

“That means elevation. If we're gonna make camp here, that's where we want to do it.” They would not make camp here. They all knew that, but no one dared say it, as though speaking that trepidation, that dread aloud would somehow make it worse. So they silently filed in and began making the hike north.

 

True to Leo's word, the two horses remaining to them, his and Elise's, as well as Hinoka's pegasus and Camilla's wyvern, had the least amount of difficulty traversing the uneven land. They went first, the Nohrian prince at the lead, using his magic to draw the roots of various plants and grasses to the surface, weaving a little street that was quickly trampled back into the dirt by the time the rest of them got there. Their march was slow going as the ground seemed as eager to devour them as the dragons in tales of old. Leaves covered dips just deep enough to twist one's ankle, and thick vines obscured muddy pits that could swallow a man up to his knee, as Ryouma learned the hard way. He managed to pull himself free, his baggy trousers flithy and clinging to his leg, but his steps were considerably slower afterward as he favored his left side more and more. Sakura dashed over to him, clutching a staff, but the Hoshidan prince quickly assured her that it was nothing worth wasting magic on.

 

“I don't know if I should be impressed that he's soldiering on despite obvious pain, or upset that he might slow us down later due to his pride.” Nerr confessed aloud. Xander looked down at her, slowing his stride a bit to better keep pace with her. It was so strange, so wrong to not see him atop his horse. A knight belonged on their horse. When he trained with her atop the Citadel's roof and parapets, he would even ride Asmodeus up the stairs, rather than have Lilith lead him. Walking with the rest of them, he seemed less like a prince, and more like a... man. A common man.

“It is a leader's obligation to keep a brave face for his soldiers. He is their strength. So long as he does not feel pain or sorrow or exhaustion, neither will his people. That being said, Emperor Ryouma is not our leader. That position is supposed to fall to you.” Nerr clenched her jaw so tightly she was certain she felt one of her teeth crack. She could only imagine how ugly she looked scowling with that thick, jagged line cutting her face in twain.

 

“Xander, if you weren't my brother, I would punch you in the face.” Before he could find something else to complain about, she jogged past him, past the Hoshidans and continued on until she could reach into Elise's saddlebag and pull free a vulneray. Before her sister could question her, Nerr fell back, slowing her pace to a crawl until the clatter of Ryouma's armor was beside her. It sounded so different from the clanking of steel plates she was used to. The older man regarded her with furrowed brows.

“Is something the matter?”

“Drink this.” She nearly shattered the clay pot, shoving it at him, almost striking his breastplate. Ryouma took one look at the vulneray and pushed it away, not ungently.

“There's no need for that. Best we don't waste our supplies, especially after losing so many.”

 

“If I thought this was a waste, I wouldn't offer it to you. You're limping. How's that going to serve us in battle, huh? You going to hobble up our enemies and do _nothing_ when they lackadaisically walk out of your range, gimpy?” His eyes narrowed, but he took the jar.

“You are a mean little badger, sister.”

“If I were mean, I'd deny you aid whilst you crawled around as just a torso. Of course, I'm certain you'd claim it's just a flesh wound.” Ryouma was silent just long enough to swallow the vile medicine. The grimace on his face was proof enough that he'd been hurt more than he let on.

“We are more alike than not in that regard, Nerrida. Unless I mistakenly recall you running about with a broken arm?”

“Different circumstances.”

 

“And what circumstances resulted in _this?”_ He reached out to her, prompting her to lean away on instinct, but his hand went to her hair, where he plucked something from the tangled tresses. For a moment, Nerr assumed he was holding some rotten leaf, until she saw that beneath the black, it was pink and gray. Crying out in disgust, she frantically began trying to brush out whatever still remained, but for all she knew, she was only breaking up whatever flesh lingered. Ryouma grabbed her wrist to still it.

“Stop that! That burn you suffered at the Chasm obviously hasn't healed, and you're making it worse.” What? Oh... oh. That was... he thought it was _her_ flesh. Yes, that was right, some of the flames had struck her, had blackened her skin and singed her hair, but what did a few little scorch marks matter when it was Jakob's skin that had been turned to charcoal and his meat that fell from his bones and dripped onto her when his spectre was injured?

 

“I'm not in pain.” She told her blood brother. “I'm not slowing anyone down.” Lies. All lies, but just enough truth that she could say it with a straight face.

“...you're certain?”

“Absolutely.” Ryouma was still doubtful, but he _wanted_ to believe her, so he let himself. Thank the gods Hoshidans were so naïve. Takumi would not buy into her lies nearly as fast, but the younger prince did not care enough to pester her, for which she was grateful.

“Even if it doesn't hurt, keep an eye on that. The last thing we need is for you to get a festering injury.” _'Oh, if only you knew...'_ They'd not rotted, but the past two months had seen injuries bad enough. They did not stop her. Splitting open her back, her face, her belly had only slowed her down, but she could not expect anyone else to be the same. She had to be stronger than them.

 

The ground had become soggier as the water that had once lay beneath the soil began flowing over it. Azura shivered, shaking her foot dry only to have it submerged with her next step. With her feet bare as well, Nerr could appreciate just how cold the water truly was.

 

“Have we stumbled into a river without realizing it?” The singer asked, lifting the hem of her skirt with a look of disgust.

“I don't think this used to be a river, milady.” Kaze pointed to something in the distance, over the heads of the others, which all tilted back to gape. A waterfall lay ahead of them, but there was no rock face by which they could reach it's apex. The water fell from another island, far, far smaller than any they'd seen thus far, little more than a boulder. Above it, a precipice appeared to be the source of the falls. Nerr pushed her way to the front of the group, slowly tearing her eyes from the churning foam that misted them, down, down, into the clouds that were visible where the ground suddenly ended. Most of the water simply fell through, which perhaps explained why this river that wasn't a true river had formed. Solid land lay on the other side, but their path was disrupted by a gap of at least ten feet.

 

“This seems to be the origin of those bridges.” Hinoka said, pointing to a chunk of stone that jutted from the soil, almost completely overgrown with wet moss. Slabs of similarly colored stone floated nearby. The Hoshidan princess dropped her reins and walked over to it, shielding her eyes from the mist, though it soaked her regardless. “And there's a Dragon Vein here too.” Without waiting to be told, she lifted her arm, channeling it's power. One of the stones floated over, not even the closest, grinding loudly into place. They must have all come from different bridges and reformed themselves.

 

Nerr wondered if they had drifted away on their own, or if Anankos had thrown them about, like a child throwing blocks. Each one was a good four feet tall, to say nothing of their varying thickness and width. She could not have hoped to nudge one out of place in her draconic form. There was no other way forward, so each of them passed beneath the icy shower, and each of them was soaked down to the bone in turn. Hardly noticeable on the Nohrians with their armor and thick wool, but the Hoshidans' thin robes had all become nearly transparent, save Takumi who wore clothes both thicker and darker than his siblings. Not for the first time, Nerr wondered if he was not the smart one in their family, just as Leo was. Sakura's teeth chattered as she attempted to wring out her short cloak.

 

“W-we're going to get sick if this keeps us...” Shura laughed, a rough bark that sounded even more dog-like as he shook his head furiously, pelting those nearby with droplets from his shaggy curls.

“I thought you royals were supposed to be strong. Dragon's blood and all that. If a light shower on a mild day's enough to get you sick, dragons must have been fragile little shits.” Nerr unhooked her cloak and threw it over Azura's chest as the singer tried to position her very exposed front away from the others.

“It's not that cold. As long as we keep moving, we'll be fine.” Indeed, the air was mild enough when they were dry, enough for sweat to bead her brow and soak her collar and the pits of her jerkin's sleeves, but drenched as she was, every breeze suddenly felt as biting as the winter winds of the far north. They were shivering from the cold, not from the way the leaves miles above them rustled eerily.

 

Mushrooms that glowed like those in the caves sprang up from the moss clinging to the massive roots, casting a glow that reflected on the slick leaves and stones and surfaces of the ponds, but could not penetrate the prevailing fog that seemed to grow thicker the further they went. The only glimpses of the sky they got were when it appeared below them, and the clouds had grown so dense, they could see nothing but a solid blanket of gray. They must have only been walking for an hour or two, but gods if it didn't feel like days.

 

A heavy hand on Nerr's shoulder made her flinch, but Gunther ignored her unease, pointing out across the lake to their left. The water had been very still, it's black surface mirror-like, until the faintest ripple broke that stillness. Something had moved within it's depths, something that vanished just as it made it's presence known. The Nohrian princess stared hard at the water, as though she could somehow see down to it's inky bottom, but a short squeal of fear pulled her attention away at once. While everyone else took their weapons in hand, Elise had pressed both of hers over her mouth, trying to contain any additional screams. Camilla was the first one at her side, ax gripped tightly.

 

“What is it, sweetling? What did you see?” Pulling one hand free, the younger girl pointed shakily to the distance. It was hard to focus one's eyes when the fog obscured everything like a thick layer of smoke, softening every edge.

“Something moved...!” Despite her sharp eyes, Nerr didn't know how Elise could have seen any movement unless it had been mere feet from her. So thick was the haze that the trees could have been armies and she would not have seen them advancing. Camilla clearly felt the same, though her voice remained gentle.

“Are you _sure_ you saw something move, Elise? It couldn't have just been a branch?” Frustration overcame her fear, and the youngest Nohrian royal frowned at her sister.

“I'm not stupid, Camilla! I know the difference between a person and a branch! It was a person! I saw it running!”

 

“I doubt it was a 'person'...” Takumi said, summoning the glowing thong of his holy bow even as he spoke. Somehow, the thought of another living, breathing human being in these woods with them terrified Nerr far more than the reality of more monsters. She could cut through something mindless and unfeeling, the silhouette of a human. She could not do the same for something that lived and breathed, lost and afraid, _but she could just as easily lead them to their death,_ _mercy Anankos, have mercy_ _...!!_ The voice in her head was angrier, far more bitter than it had been in the past. She shook her head to clear it.

“We know we're not alone here. Just keep your weapons out, and stay close together.” Their steps were far slower, more measured as every sound suddenly seemed infinitely louder. Amongst them was a gurgling that _could_ have been running water from some other river, but in her gut, Nerr knew it wasn't. No river could make her insides twist so painfully. The insides of her gloves were slick with sweat and water, but she did not allow her grip on the Yato to slip. For a long moment, the only sound was that of their feet shuffling through the fallen leaves, but then they heard it. The moan. At once, they all froze, looking at one another despite the sound being far too faint, far too far away to have come from one of them.

 

“What was that?” Selena asked, her voice higher than usual, far more strained.

“We know what it is.” Kaze reminded them, his voice as tight as the hand clutching his kunai. “Just ignore it.”

“But they don't make noise like that. It sounds human.”

“It's not human.” Azura whispered.

“It _could_ be,” Lazwald reminded them. “Remember that boy?”

 

“It's _not_ a human!” The singer told him harshly. “ 'They don't make noise like that'- they don't approach the edge of the island either. But now they do. They might even start talking next! Who knows what tricks Anankos will throw at us!?” Her golden eyes were wide, manic, her breathing far too ragged for someone who was just standing there. Xander gripped her shoulder tightly, reassuringly.

“Regardless of what they do, they are still the same mindless beasts as before. There is no more reason to fear them now than before.” Azura nodded, though her frantic panting did not ease, and with good reason. The moaning had not stopped, a near-constant hum that sounded more and more human the longer they heard it, almost like weeping. Were she younger, those sounds would have loosened her bowels, but now, Nerr just found herself shivering wretchedly as tremors ran down her spine. Hinoka shifted her grip on her reins to grip her lance tighter. Pinkish orange flames jumped to life and danced across the curved blade.

 

“I remember this sound. In those first woods... It called a horde of monsters to us.” Sakura shifted closer to the other, shaking worse than any of them.

“W-wasn't that... Wasn't that Azura's m-mother...?” The singer stopped walking. Her arms were stiff at her sides, but it seemed more likely that they shook from anger rather than fear. Ryouma put his hand atop her head, ever a paragon of fraternal concern.

“Sister, you must remember that while whatever monstrosity was left behind may bear her form, that was _not_ your mother.”

“I know that, Ryouma!” She snapped. “I saw my mother die. I know better than anyone that the dead do not return to us... no matter how much we wish they would...” She whispered that last part to herself, barely a louder than a sigh, but Nerr heard her clearly.

 

The dark woods flickered to life as they neared another great lake, shambling figures running out from behind the massive tree trunks when they spotted the living. Some were armed with rudimentary weapons, most had nothing more than their fists, but these stragglers were not a true threat. It barely took more than a single slash of a blade to take their heads off or cleave them in twain. Unlike others they had faced, these were held together with so thin a membrane, it ruptured the near second they were struck. The ground and their boots were quickly covered in a thick carpet of moss and grasses. Takumi blew one still swaying in the distance to pieces, but did not lower his bow.

 

“This isn't _it_ , is it? This is too... easy.” Nerr shook her head.

“No. They're in the water.” She gestured to the middle of the lake, where ripple from multiple sources were colliding with one another, sending little waves splashing onto the shore. Their path had grown more and more narrow, the water encroaching on everything, leaving them precious little ground to walk on. Their only way forward was along a jetty of stones. “We have to go through them. Hinoka. Could you fly Sakura across? She has no way of protecting herself.” The young princess shrank back, despite Nerr's tone being quite mild.

 

“I-I'm sorry...”

“Don't be.” Hinoka told her heartily as she grabbed her sister around the waist and lifted her onto the saddle. “Every army needs a good healer.”

“I-I suppose...”

“Maybe when we make camp, Takumi can teach you how to bend a bow. Like Mother.”

“We'd need a tiny bow for that...” The prince groused, thumbing the riser of his own. Elise huffed as she watched the Hoshidans, turning to her eldest sister.

 

“Camilla. Fly me across too!”

“But you have a horse, dearest.”

“Yeah, and don't you also have a book that sets things on fire?” Shura asked sardonically. “ 'cause if you wanna walk, armed with a bow that's shit at close range, I'll gladly trade places.”

“You have a dagger at your hip,” Nerr told him as she passed the pirate. “Maybe you should use that instead. Camilla, if you're going to take anyone, take Azura.” The blunette girl's jaw clenched, but her voice remained even as ever.

 

“I don't need special treatment, Nerr.”

“You're unarmed.”

“So? I've been coming here unarmed for more than ten years. I don't need a weapon, and I don't need anyone warning me about things I already know.” She marched ahead, climbing onto the jetty.

 

Nerr's initial reaction was to remind the Vallite princess that the only reason she didn't need weapons was because she'd spent the last decade running back to the safety of Hoshido when danger struck, but she bit her tongue. Azura's anger was not her own, she knew that; she had felt Anankos' dark presence creep into her own mind, causing her to take offense at every perceived slight. He would make them frustrated, which would make them careless. Rather than argue with the songstress, Nerr simply jogged after her, digging her toes into the slick moss to keep from slipping. The other followed in a narrow order, whilst Hinoka and Camilla took to the air, staying nearby. The moaning had grown louder still, the lake agitated enough that the waves that broke against the stones splashed them. Nerr gripped the Yato tighter, as though it could be wrenched from her hand at any moment.

 

“How many do you think are in there?” She asked Azura in a tight whisper.

“I don't know.”

“...what are they waiting for? Why aren't they attacking?”

“For the gods' sake, if I knew, Nerr, I would tell you just to shut you up.”

“Heh. You sound almost like Takumi when you talk like that.” The other woman froze, and for one horrible moment, Nerr wondered if those weren't fighting words, but when no blow came, she moved her attention away from the singer's balled up fists and to her face. The frustration that had furrowed her brow and thinned her lips only seconds earlier was gone, and in it's place was a horrible dread that left her eyes bulging and lips agape and wobbling. She had seemingly forgotten the other princess standing beside her, wide eyes staring unblinkingly out across the lake.

 

“Do you hear that?”

“The moaning?” Azura gasped, covering her ears.

“There it is again. You hear that, don't you?”

“Hear what?” Nerr could hear nothing but faint gurgles and growls, far, far off in the distance, coupled with the increased splashing of the lake. Disconcerting sounds, to be sure, but not something to strike such terror in one's heart. Yet Azura's already pallid face had gone chalk while, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she knelt on the stones.

 

“It's calling me.” A sharp edge cut her knee, tearing her silken hose and quickly dying the white red, but she didn't notice.

“Azura? What are you--” The Nohrian princess discarded her thought, grabbing the other woman's arm and pulling her back as she attempted to slide her legs into the water. She could hear the others running to catch up with them, but refused to take her eyes off the songstress. “What the hell are you doing?!” Before she could answer, the surface of the lake broke, splashing them both. Nerr nearly fell off the other side of the jetty in her haste to get her and Azura both as far away from the sudden attack as possible, but as her eyes caught up to her racing mind, she realized there was no attack.

 

Nothing lunged at them, or swiped a rusted blade at their throats. There weren't even any wet growls. Just gasps and splashing as whatever had appeared treaded water. For a long moment, she didn't realize what she was looking at, her mind not being able to connect whole flesh and clothes and breath together. Ryouma was the first to reach them, quickly standing between his sisters and this new threat, his Raijinto ready to strike. His shoulders slumped in uncertainty.

 

“A person...?” Could they have stumbled across another unfortunate citizen of Valla, someone who, like Ant, managed to find a way to escape Anankos' gaze? No, that couldn't be, their face was whole, unmarred by illness, the eyes too lucid, too golden, too familiar...

“Mother...?” How could _this_ be Azura's mother? Nerr had seen the wight Gunther called “Queen Arete”, and it had only borne the faintest resemblance to the woman in the lake now. Her face seemed to ripple and distort, like the sky often did, but apart from that she looked so... normal. She had the same thin face and narrow jaw as Azura, and her hair, though plastered to her head, was full. Her eyes, smaller than her daughter's, were full of tears that seemed to melt into her cheeks rather than run down them.

“Gods be good, my darling girl!” She tried to swim closer, but the tip of Ryouma's sword kept her at bay.

 

“Begone, foul creature!” The figure of Arete paid him no mind, looking around the samurai. Nerr stood to block it from Azura's sight, but the other woman had already turned, covering her ears with her hands.

“You're not my mother. You're not real.” Her voice quavered as she repeated those words to herself.

“No,” The spirit (how could it be a spirit when it looked so solid?) admitted. Her voice sounded as though she were speaking below the surface of the water, despite her head and shoulders being above it. “I was not before, and I may not be again, but in this moment I am myself.”

“You're _not!”_ Azura pressed her hands harder to her ears.

 

“...you're supposed to be in Nohr... Garon was supposed to keep you safe... he promised me...” The Vallite princess glanced over her shoulder, her hands slowly coming away from her head. Nerr replaced them with her own, staring the other woman in the eye.

“Don't listen to her. Just keep walking. It's a trick. You know it's a trick.” Azura nodded slowly, tears dripping down her cheeks when she blinked. The watery apparition would not be deterred so easily, however. She remained out of Ryouma's reach, raising her voice so that it echoed throughout the trees, just as the moaning sobs had.

“You have to leave this place! You can't go to the castle! He'll kill you! Please! Please, don't take her there! You have to save her! Save her, please! She's all I have!!” She wailed, a horrible sound that made Nerr want to vomit, but it seemed to have the opposite effect on Azura. She pulled away from Nerr, ducking around Ryouma's legs.

 

“Mother! I missed you so much!” She reached into the water, and her brother pulled her back, but not before bony fingers latched onto her wrist. Unlike her face, which was whole and smooth, Arete's hands were gnarled and green, water and flesh slipping away to reveal yellowing bone in some places. She moved so quickly, pulling her daughter closer to the water, drawing her closer despite Ryouma and Nerr both working against her. On land, her movements had been jerky and uncoordinated, every step an ordeal, but here, she was so quick. Too quick.

 

She had lunged forward as Nerr blinked, and by the time she'd opened her eyes, there was blood in the water and creature's mouth and neck, and staining Azura's dress as she gurgled helplessly. Ryouma swung his blade at Arete's hand, severing it at the wrist and allowing his sisters to fall back. The fingers that still clung to Azura's wrist had begun to melt, falling away in fat drops as she lifted her shaking hands weakly to the raw flesh of her throat. How could someone bleed so much while their head was still attached? Coming back to her senses, Nerr dropped the Yato and grabbed the singer's cloak in both hands, pressing it against the ragged gash and watching in horror as it too quickly turned red.

 

“Elise! Elise, get over--” A blood-curdling screech that cut into her ears like knives overtook every other sound, muting the splashes as the water fell away from Arete's form, revealing the thin gray skin and murky eyes they had glimpsed back in the forest. Her jaw lay against her chest, the sound coming from the slimy black hole of her throat as she rose, the lake churning around her. If magic made the islands float, it could do the same for it's inhabitants. But the unsteady, malformed legs she expected never broke the water's surface.

 

There _were_ legs, though, so many legs, and arms, and faces, that twisted together writhed against each other, a mass of maggots swarming over the carcass of their queen, melting and becoming one only to separate once more. They ripped themselves from the clutch, splashing into the lake, violet flames dancing across the water, and dragging themselves onto the rocks, grabbing at whatever ankles were closest. Ryouma slashed furiously, cutting off hands and fingers the simply grew back. A flash of green blinded them as several of the monsters exploded, falling back into the water as even more crawled over their remains. Takumi was drawing another arrow, trying to find the greatest concentration of them to aim at.

 

“We can't fight here! We have to run!” As he let loose the magical arrow, tearing three more creatures apart, many had crept ahead, hidden by the water and commotion, climbing onto the jetty ahead of them and effectively blocking their way forward.

“Clear a path!” A white blur swooped down upon the watery undead, and Hinoka cleaved through them with a great fiery arc as Sakura clung to her for dear life. But as one fell, two more rose up. To linger would be a death sentence. Quickly re-sheathing her abandoned sword, Nerr hefted Azura onto her back. She was used to carrying Elise through the Citadel's halls like that, and had even lifted Lilith once as a joke, but the songstress was much taller than them. Perhaps it was the strength of her draconic blood, or perhaps the cold, slimy hands clawing at her feet urged her on, but regardless, the Nohrian princess found herself unhindered by the extra weight. She could feel something dripping down her neck and told herself it was just water, despite it being so very hot.

 

“Hold on, Azura! We'll heal you as soon as we get to the other bank!” Her only response was a weak, gurgling wheeze. Nerr herself could barely speak for panting, a blessing as the only thought racing through her head was ' _gods above, please don't die, please don't die on my back when I can't do anything to help you..._ _'_ Thin arms lashed at her with the deftness of a snake, the lance half embedded in them striking her legs. The broken point, sharp enough to pierce flesh easily, glanced off her greave, though not without leaving a long gouge. Had her hands been free, she would have cut the monster down before it attacked anyone else, but all she could do was clumsily try to avoid it's second strike without falling into the water.

 

Hinoka and Camilla had landed on the far bank, the latter swinging her ax with reckless abandon, freezing and shattering the scores of monsters that tried to crawl onto shore. She was so close, counting the steps until her feet once more touched solid ground, and that was the only reason she didn't stop when another ear-splitting shriek resounded behind her preceding a massive splash. If she turned, she would get distracted, would lose her footing and stumble and they would be on her like ants. Nerr leapt the final few feet, suppressing a cry of pain when it felt like every joint in her legs had shattered. It wasn't until she laid Azura down in the wet grass that she realized just how heavy she'd been. Sakura gasped at the sight of her sister, nearly dropping her staff in revulsion.

 

“Wh-wh-what happened to her?!”

“I don't know. I don't care. Do something!” The young girl nodded, sucking in a breath that sounded like a choked sob as she knelt beside Azura. She opened her eyes halfway and tried to lift her head, giving up and letting it fall back down immediately. Hinoka stooped down, squeezing her hand for a few short moments.

“Save your strength. Sakura's gonna fix you up.” The singer shook her head, more of a twitch than anything, weakly lifting her hand the moment the older princess released it. Nerr glanced where she was pointing, or trying to.

 

The others were getting closer, their progress hindered by the swarm of gelatinous bodies doing everything in their power to drag them under. One succeeded in grabbing Selena's hair, coming frightfully close to tugging her into the water, thwarted only by Shura roughly hacking one of the long tails off with his dagger before plunging it into the beast's skull. As close as they were, Takumi could not aim, trying and failing before giving up and choosing to simply stay close to Ryouma, who could fight such close combat. Even when they reached the shore, they would not be safe. They could only run and pray they ended up somewhere less populated. Climbing back to her feet, Nerr unsheathed her blade, already running ahead as she called over her shoulder to her sisters.

 

“Stay there and keep them back! I have to find a way out!” They were protesting, how could they not, but she was already out of earshot, more focused on the animal squeals and roars that came from every direction. Figures cloaked in flames ran after her, human but not, arms too long or legs too small. She did not care, swinging at them, knocking them back just enough to continue running. If she were to fight on her own, she would rather do so with her back against something. The trees had begun to thin out, leaving far fewer massive roots for her to climb and trip over. So too did the mist grow fainter, allowing light to penetrate the deep blue shadows. She was so focused on running that she barely noticed what she was running towards, and just barely managed to stop before her momentum carried her over the sudden ledge that had appeared before her.

 

She had to back away several feet to turn around and cut through the shambling abominations that had continued to pursue her. It was only when they had melted and begun adding another layer of grass and moss to the forest floor that she allowed herself to head back to the ledge. After the oppressive dark and heavy damp of the woods, the open air almost came as a relief. Almost. For it was so very open, nothing more than clouds and sky standing a good thirty feet between her and the next island over. Smaller islands dotted the sky like clouds, most barely more than than oversized rocks while those large enough to be considered a landmass unto themselves were inhabited by trees and so choked by roots that it seemed a death sentence to even consider setting foot on them.

 

The stone slabs between them were all too far away from anything to serve as any kind of stepping stone. Her saliva turned sour while her stomach churned, but she swallowed and paced, every nerve painfully tense as she tried to find a familiar thread of energy. A rapid thudding behind her almost matched her erratic pulse, but the familiar clanging of armor somewhat set her mind at ease. A cursory glance, and she turned her attention back to seeking out the Dragon Vein she _knew_ had to be somewhere nearby. Elise of all people reached her first, undoubtedly due to her riding her poor palfrey to a lather. She carried the red leather tome under her arms, one of her pigtail undone and burnt away at the ends. Her gaze was quickly drawn from her sister, still pacing, to the rift before her. Shrinking in her saddle, Elise sniveled miserably.

 

“Where are we supposed to go from here? What do we do? We can't go over there; that's nothing!” She jabbed an angry finger at the island Nerr was absolutely planning to go to.

“Yes, we can, Elise.”

“No, we can't!” Grinding her teeth, the older princess stomped over to her sister, grabbing her arm tightly. It might leave a mark later, but that would be the least of her worries.

 

“Elise. Stop crying. Stop it! Haven't you ever hopped on Krakenburg's parapets? _Don't you lie to me._ ” Sniffling and wiping her dribbling face with a sleeve that was already growing thick patches of green, the younger girl nodded. “So what's there to be afraid of now? Those are merlons,” She swept her arm across the pale sky. “And we're going to hop over them. Now, I need you to get off that poor horse and look for a Dragon Vein, because they're coming...!”

 

She did not have time for Elise to question her as a hulking blob lurched from one of the trees. How such a massive upper body could balance upon such tiny, misshapen legs was a mystery, and if she didn't have to occupy herself with cutting at it's thick hide, Nerr would have wondered if this poor soul's form had been corrupted after death, or if they had been so malformed in life. The Yato cut jelly-like chunks off it's lumpy torso, but it did not feel pain, and thus it did not slow down. It tottered as she struck it, like an infant or a drunk, but as she drew her sword back for a heavier blow, it surprised her by charging, knocking her off her feet. She was encased in armor, but it did little to soften the blow as she struck thick, knobby roots, her head ringing like a bell while she struggled back to her feet.

 

Elise had obeyed her command, walking her palfrey along the edge of the island, though not nearly so close to it as Nerr had gone. The monster had set it's sights on livelier prey, vanishing as the world swam and wavered when she blinked. Only by the small bursts of fire that tickled the grass but never burned it could she see where it was, where it was going. With a furious roar, almost as inhuman a shriek as the monsters, Nerr sprinted at it as fast as her legs would carry her. The air shimmered and for one second, it grew darker, thicker. That was all the sign she needed, driving her golden blade deep into it's soupy insides and wrenching it this way and that. Thick, sour water spilled over her as it squealed it's demise, trying to strike her, but barely managing any damage as it fell apart. The slime itched as it began taking root in her clothes and flesh alike, and she shook off as much as possible, her attention quickly pulled away by the ground rumbling under her.

 

“I found one!” Elise called out excitedly. Already, the stones were beginning to drift over, forming a crumbling, uneven path to the the next island. Ryouma was the first one to appear from the mist, halting suddenly and lifting his sword. A sharp crack cut through the air, the rumble of thunder following the bolt of lightning, but he had missed. The Hoshidan prince barely had time to step back before a blur descended upon him, the trees echoing with it's shriek. It knocked Ryouma to the ground, the force of the impact making his head bounce as it hit the moss, but before it could do more than that, it's torso blasted apart, the resulting gust blowing the mist far and wide.

 

“Where the hell did _that_ one come from!?” Takumi yelled as he joined his brother, pulling the older man to his feet despite him already halfway up, groaning and swaying unsteadily.

“The threes. They muth be up in the branches!” Takumi shuddered, and Nerr knew he was thinking back to the Mokushuujin just as she was. The scar on her stomach twinged, but she could not think of that.

“Where's Azura?”

“With Hinoka. They're right behind uth. Thakura couldn't heal her completely.” Ryouma's deep voice was undercut with a distinct lisp, but it was the underlying quaver that sounded truly wrong to Nerr. Still, what he didn't say spoke louder than his words, and that was truly all she wanted to hear.

 

“Get to the other side with Elise; we need to clear the way for Azura.” Elise shook her head, her eyes wide as they turned up to the branches high above them.

“What if they jump at us while we're on that bridge? They'll knock us over! We'll be dead before we even hit he ground!”

“Calm yourthelf, Princeth Elith.” Ryouma stumbled over to her, his left hand holding his chest. Blood dripped from his lips, and when he spoke, his teeth were stained red. “No harm will befall you on my wath.” The younger girl frowned at him.

 

“...did you bite through your tongue...?”

“I may haf. But I'll be fine. We need to moof. Now.” He gingerly put his weight on the first stone of the bridge, and when it didn't sink, he began walking, looking every which way in between bursts of three or so steps. Elise still hesitated, looking back up at the forest behind them. More silhouettes appeared through the fog, and were it not for the the distinct sound of armor, it would have been easy to mistake them for another horde of the undead. With her sister unwilling to look away from the canopy, Nerr grabbed her and hoisted her onto her palfrey.

“Follow Ryouma. And if there's no danger up ahead, heal him. The last thing we need is that idiot choking on his own blood.”

 

“Wouldn't be the first time.” Takumi mused, turning to Elise and nodding at the bridge. “Go. I'll keep an eye out.” Swallowing hard, the princess spurred her horse forward, and true to his word, Takumi followed close behind, walking far slower, as he turned every so often to scan the trees, a pale green arrow already notched. The others spotted her, running over. Xander turned on his heel, raising his sword aloft, a beam of dark red piercing a misshapen mountain of contorted limbs that lumbered behind them. Part of it was blown off, but it continued it's chase. Kaze and Shura both aimed at the top of the mass, where a head might have been once, but even as it staggered, it did not slow. Selena reached her first, her uneven, choppy hair adding to the manic look look of her.

 

“There are more coming! No matter how many we cut down, more just take their place!”

“Because of that damn lake! Get to the other side!” They didn't need to be told twice, hurrying as fast as they could without running. Massive as the beast was, it was outpaced by humans spurred on by fear, and seemed to realize that, stopping in it's tracks. The sudden shift in behavior made the hairs on the back of Nerr's neck stand on end. “What's it doing...?” Gunther and Xander reached her last, the former leaning on his lance as he panted.

“Maybe they-- maybe they _don't_ come to the edge?” But they _did_ , she wanted to tell him, the words dying on her tongue as the hulking mass leaned back, a vacuous hole forming in it's center. She had seen the Stoneborn at the Chasm move similarly before spewing out the boulders and mud that crushed her people.

 

“Duck!” She tried to pull the older men down, but there was no time to hit the ground as a projectile erupted from the creature's chest. She'd seen something similar tear itself from her own arm, scalding water compressed into round shot, but nothing so large as this. She covered her face, hoping her armor would be enough to protect the rest of her, but it never made contact. Not directly, at least. She heard it strike metal, a deep gong resonating in her chest as steam and back splash and fragments of something hard and sharp assaulted her ears and scalp, but the actual blast missed her. The force of it hit her hard enough, knocking Gunther into her hard enough to stagger them both. She could barely see through the cloud of steam burning her lungs with every breath, but heard the crack of magic loud and clear, twice in rapid succession.

 

The monster had shrunk, most of it's mass lost in that attack, leaving it weak enough for Siegfried's blasts to rip it apart. Xander lowered his sword as though it had grown to heavy for him, breathing hard as he turned to his sister, offering a hand to pull her back to her feet. His face was flushed an unflattering red, and steam rose from his still dripping aegis, but he looked no worse for the wear, leaving Nerr free to turn her attention back to her betrothed, still on the ground. There was a huge dent in the center of the shield, the thick metal gouged away in places by the same shrapnel that had struck her. His hair had turned red in places, blood leaking down the angry welts on his face.

 

“Are you okay?” She wished her voice hadn't broken like that as she put all her weight behind pulling the knight to his feet. He felt so much heavier than before, nearly falling onto her before he steadied himself on the battered shield.

“No,” Gunther's voice was tight with pain as he straightened. “But I've been worse. Go, Nerr. We're right behind you.” Xander nodded grimly, pushing her forward none too gently. With branches snapping and leaves rustling behind them, there was no time to argue. Swallowing hard, she set out over the path. Like she knew Elise did, Nerr had spent her life playing on the parapets of the Citadel, running along them without a thought to the hundred or so foot drop that awaited her. They were far more narrow than the stones she made her way across now, and in just as terrible condition, yet that fearlessness that had once been at her core now withered and died as she was faced with the endlessness beneath her.

 

Either she moved faster than she thought, or the others were more tentative in their steps than her, but she managed to spot them before they climbed onto the solid land ahead. She heard no growls or shrieks, only the grating of stone on stone, and felt her stomach bottom out at the ground below her shifted. The block did not move far, thankfully, not hers at least. One several yards ahead, closer to the island, was wrenched away from the bridge as though by an invisible hand. It's occupant stumbled with an ear-piercing scream, hitting the edge and rolling off to a chorus of panicked shouts. A dark blur shot out, grabbing the garish yellow cloak, Kaze's hand all that kept Odin tethered. Lazwald and Selena quickly ran over, trying to pull him up as the ratty cloak tore. They managed to hoist him up by the arms before the cloth gave out all together, but getting him across the widening gap was proving to be a harder task. The mage gripped the block below him, his nails breaking off as he attempted to dig them into stone, tears and snot running down his terror-struck face.

 

“NO! I'm not moving! I don't care what happens, I'm not standing up on this thing! I'm not doing this again!!”

“Am I going to have to carry you?” His companion's tone was light, but the gray eyes were serious, neither of which mattered as Odin viciously slapped his hand away.

“ _Get the fuck away from me, Inigo!!_ We're going to die here! We're all going to _die!!_ ” He was absolutely hysterical, so much so that he didn't notice Kaze kneeling behind him until the ninja's arms were around his throat.

 

“I'm sorry, Odin-san. This is for your own good.” The mage clearly didn't see it that way as he gagged and struggled, trying to claw at his attacker, resulting in the green-haired man applying more pressure. Odin's movements became sluggish and frighteningly quick, he went completely limp. Unfazed by the apparent corpse in his arm, Kaze turned to Lazwald. “He's going to wake up in a few seconds; can you carry him?”

“Shouldn't be that hard.” True to his word, mere seconds after he released his grip on the Nohrian man, Odin began groaning as he came to, but by that time, the mercenary had already hoisted him onto his back. The gap left by the missing brick (which, during the commotion, had crashed into a smaller island, splitting into pieces), was small enough that those unburdened by excess weight could hop across, but fortunately for those unwilling to take that risk, Leo had already flipped open his Brynhildr, the pages glowing as thick roots snaked out from the island, creeping along remaining stone and forming a sturdy, if not solid, path.

 

Nerr was eager to run across it, despite her foot getting caught painfully in one of the larger gaps, as she noticed how gray her younger brother looked. When the last of them were on the other side, the Nohrian prince snapped the tome shut in a glassy-eyed daze, and promptly collapsed. Nerr knelt beside him, letting out the breath she had unknowingly been holding when she realized his breathing was steady, if not labored.

 

“Every day it's something new with you, you drama queen...” She muttered as she put his arm around her neck to lift him up, half dragging him further inland. Monstrous cries still filled the air, but they were faint, far behind them. She couldn't hear anything nearby, but that just meant they were lurking, waiting until they could corner their prey. Contending with roots as tall as she was twisted around miniature mountains made lugging her brother into the woods an even more trying task, but fortunately, Ryouma appeared from the brush, taking hold of the younger boy with his free hand. The flickering light of his blade made the shadows dance eerily, warping them into uncanny shapes.

 

“There's a fort up ahead. The others are there.”

“Azura?”

“Alive.” That was the best she could hope for now. The “fort” may have been a sturdy fortification in the past, but now it was three walls that barely stood. Trees had claimed the majority of the structure, their roots pushing through the mortar in places, cracking the stone. Hinoka and Camilla stood in place of the missing wall, weapons ready, not relaxing even at the sight of familiar faces.

 

“There were more of those things already here,” Hinoka explained as the others approached. “We killed them, but who knows how many more are waiting for us to drop our guard.”

“We might have to.” Ryouma's lisp was gone, but dried blood remained in the corners of his mouth and the crevasses of his lips. “Azura is in no condition to go any further, and this is the most protected place on this hell-rock. This may be our new camp for the time being.” The thought of being trapped on this tiny pebble while danger pressed in from all sides made her stomach tighten, the dread driving her to wrack her brain for another solution, but just as one began creeping in from the edges of her thoughts, the ground rumbled. The force, far stronger than the Dragon Veins they had used, knocked her feet out from under her, as well as several others. The trees swayed in the strong, sudden wind, blanketing them in still-green leaves.

 

“What in all the hells is this?!” Selena cried out as she tried and failed to keep her balance.

“We're moving!” The voice came from above them, and Nerr had to look for a moment before she spotted Takumi atop one of the walls, his hair all that stood out from the shadows of the coiling tree trunks behind him. The massive trees blocked out most of the world around them, but through the gaps, a dark shadow drew closer, closer. The collision was louder than anything she'd ever heard before in her life, a deep rumble that made her insides tremble, the following crashes deafening her painfully, the thunder of a hundred storms all at once. If she wasn't already on the ground, she'd have fallen just as Takumi had, despite holding tightly to the trees. The section of wall he stood on had deteriorated such to the point that it was only six or seven feet tall, but it was a long enough fall judging by the way he curled into him as the island continued shaking. After an eternity, it lessened to mere tremors, but everyone remained on edge. Sakura attempted to shield what little of Azura's prone body she could with her own, while Elise held her fire tome in one and staff in the other, poised to strike despite shaking like a leaf.

 

“Is it-- is it over?”

“For now.” Xander climbed heavily to his feet, wincing. “Something crashed into us. If it happened once, it can happen again, in which case this place is no safer than the one we've just fled.” Hooking her Artemis to her hip, Camilla strode over to her wyvern, calming the agitated beast before climbing into the saddle.

“I'm going to see what that was about. I refuse to believe that happened naturally.”

 

Despite Theodorus putting up a fight, she eventually coaxed her mount to lift them into the air, rising higher and higher until the black dragon blended in with the shadows of the canopy too well to distinguish. Breathing hard, Nerr pushed herself back up, not realizing how badly she was shaking until she saw her jittering hands splayed out on the dirt before her. The others were in no better shape, many still on the ground. Odin was rocking violently, his head tucked between his knees while Selena tried to coax him out of his panicked state- Lazwald seemed to be faring no better than his companion. Shura leaned against one of the trees, retching, as Sakura wept softly behind her. Everyone was tired, terrified, and worn beyond their limit, yet their trials simply refused to end and she could think of nothing to make it better. Seconds dragged on for hours before Camilla swooped back down, her wyvern buffeting them with every beat of it's wings as she refused to land.

 

“There are more of them coming!”

“What!? How is that even possible!?” Angry tears burned Nerr's eyes at the thought of yet another battle. Anankos would run them down like dogs, until they couldn't take another step and would die where they fell.

“It's Arete, or whatever that bitch is now! She's on another island- you could see that beast from a mile away, it's massive! She must be using a Dragon Vein because those smaller islands are lining up and forming too convenient a bridge to us.”

 

“If we destroy her, maybe this horde will stop hounding us so incessantly.” Xander mused darkly to himself, straightening and raising his voice. “Who can still fight?” Ryouma was at his side at once, as was Nerr.

“Wait for me...” Takumi surprised them by limping over.

“You can barely stand.” Nerr argued, earning a sour frown from the younger boy.

“I'm in better shape than _you_ , twitchy. I don't need to rush in close to fight. Just point me in the direction of what needs to die.” He was right, and she knew it. He was lucky. He could stand at the rear and pick of enemies without getting his hands dirty. The plan was set that he would do just that while Camilla and Hinoka thinned out what numbers they could from above. Much to her chagrin, Gunther had (rightfully) argued that they couldn't leave their back open, and he was one of the only members of their small group that was still able to stand aside from Kaze, and “What's he going to do with that little needle? Embroider someone to death?” If nothing else, the shinobi could stay behind and serve to protect Sakura and Azura; Nerr wasn't sure anyone else, save maybe Shura, would be up to the task, a duty he solemnly accepted.

 

That left her and her brothers as the vanguard. A position of honor if she were leading soldiers, Ryouma told her as they clambered over yet more twisting roots. Yes, it was honorable to be the first in line to die, to have your body be in the first layer of corpses that littered every battlefield. She kept those morbid thoughts to herself, along with all the others. Like realizing the sprawling network of roots looked eerily like the veins of some giant monstrosity. Were Anankos' this large? Surely they must be, to carry blood through a body large enough to tear a kingdom asunder. How big was his heart? The Yato was so small; it would be no more than a splinter to such a creature. Swallowing, she marched faster, blinking away the tears that threatened to blind her. _'Be strong, you stupid little chit. You're the 'Chosen One'- act like it, you dumb whore...'_ She wanted nothing more than cry and turn back and run home as they finally approached a clearing, but pushed those feelings down, so far down that she couldn't feel them, where they could rot along with all the other bad feelings.

 

Camilla had been right; as far away as they were, they could still see what remained of the Nohrian queen. It was a small blessing that Azura wasn't able to see it. Whatever remained of Exalt Arete was lost in the undulating mountain of watery flesh and writhing limbs. The air seemed to waver as she-- _it_ , there was nothing feminine left in that abomination- let out a furious roar. More bodies tore themselves loose from the mound, charging mindlessly towards the living in the most direct path, paying no mind to the numerous gaps even as their brethren fell between them. Just as before, it seemed that no matter how many fell, their numbers would never be culled. A partially intact bridge spanned halfway to another island, but as Nerr squeezed onto it, it lurched forward, nearly throwing her off. Takumi dropped his bow, scrambling to grab her arm and pull her upright.

 

“What fresh hell is _this!?_ ” The bridge was less intact than it seemed, the slabs pulling apart in different directions, taking them away from their brothers. Nerr's panic lessened ever so slightly as she realized they were being carried to another island rather than the vast nothingness Valla offered.

“We'll get back with them once we get off here.”

“Wait for me!” The ruins of statues hindered them as they tried to get off, but the princess managed to climb over one of the stone torsos and plant her feet back on relatively still land. She was searching for a Dragon Vein, or at least another slab close enough to jump to, far too caught up in trying to find a way forward to pay attention to her surroundings. She didn't notice anything there with them until it collided with her, knocking her to the ground, knocking the Yato from her hand, knocking the breath from her lungs as it crushed her. Cold, slimy fingers dug at her face, tearing into the gouge that was already there.

 

She tried to push it away, but her hands sank into the jelly that was it's flesh, so much more solid than the others even as it ran down her arms. The face above her was solid as well, all those charred bits and silver hairs concentrated enough for her to see distinct features, the shape of a nose and jaw and lips more familiar to her than her own, though the indigo of his eyes were still filled with swirling black holes that held nothing in them but coldness and blame. The violet flames that leapt from his hand as he tried to drive the jagged, broken blade of a misericord into what little of her neck wasn't armored were cold, except they weren't, _s_ _he could feel her skin blister, her hair burn. Crying out, the force of the spell sent her off course and she hit the cliff face--_ “Nee-san!!” _\-- She couldn't see anything but the cinders still clinging to her hair and_ the flash of green light that blinded her, forcing her eyes closed as thick globules splattered onto her face. She forced her lids open a crack as the form above her shuddered, becoming less humanoid until it could no longer hold itself together and ruptured, drenching her in sour liquid. That was why her cheeks were wet, and why her eyes burned. That was why.

 

“Gods, and you say _I_ shouldn't fight; why were you just laying there!?” She sat up, her thoughts too jumbled and fleeting to vocalize them. She was climbing to her feet as Takumi tried to climb over the rubble, but the stone must have drifted away, or broke, or _something_ because Nerr saw him stumble, saw his foot drop past the edge of the bridge, taking him with it. It was just like her nightmares, only this time, everything _else_ was moving slowly while she moved at her usual pace, clawing her way over the broken stone, paying no mind as it cut into her feet, throwing herself forward, reaching out, her heart seized in her chest, _He hadn't just fallen to his death He_ _ **couldn't**_ _be dead yet_ , and-- yes! Her hand caught something solid as she landed hard, the shock waves from her armor hitting the bridge radiating through her chest and nearly causing her to lose her grip, but she _wouldn't_. She caught him. The abyss was not black as it was when she dreamt, but it was an abyss nonetheless, and her hand around Takumi's arm was all that kept him from plummeting into it.

 

“ _Pull me up!!_ ” He sounded so young in his terror. Nerr could barely hear him from her heart pounding in her ears.

“I'm fucking trying to!” She was lying flat on the ground, with only one hand to try and find purchase. She probably could have lifted him with ease if she had both hands free to do so and her feet were firmly on the ground, but with her non-dominate hand, she could barely hold his weight. The stone beneath her cracked, a chunk no larger than her fist breaking off, but that was enough to drop them both several perilous inches closer to the sky. “Drop your bow and climb up!” The Hoshidan prince stared at her, face white with fear while his eyes burned in defiance.

“No! I _need_ it!”

“I can't lift you! You need--” How she heard the scraping over the wind and her pulse and their shouting she would never know, but she did. Another stone was coming towards them, at least one that she could see, disarmingly fast. “Takumi! Just drop it! Drop it!!!”

 

“No! Just let me go! I'd rather die than be useless!!” Nerr tried to dig her toes in, looking for _any_ grip, but unlike the bridge over the Chasm, there were no gaps in the stone, nothing for her to brace herself with. The skin scraped off her toes as every muscle in her arm and back screamed, but still she tried to pull him up, managing one inch, then another, only to have her glove, slick with viscera, slip from his leather vambrace, only catching on his wrist. Every time she blinked, the advancing slab seemed to be closer. She wouldn't let him drop, she wouldn't let him die, not this one, not this time. Another stone chipped off beneath her, another precious few centimeters between her and the sky below gone. Something white passed beneath them, too small and bright to be a cloud.

 

“I've got you, Takumi!” Hinoka called up to them, her arms outstretched. It was quite a drop from where the boy dangled to her pegasus, and if she couldn't catch him... There was no time to think- That slab would crush them both, and Nerr's hand was slipping, and she released his wrist, sending Takumi plummeting. His cry was cut short as Hinoka wrapped her arms around his torso, heaving him onto the saddle and taking him away to safety as Nerr tried to pull herself back up, the stone crumbling like dust under her hand, her arm too extended to pull back all the way--

 

She heard the crunching and popping first, a prelude to the crescendo of agony tearing her apart. She had to have died and gone to hell, for it was impossible to live through such blinding torture. She couldn't be alive. Everything was white, burned away by the fire in her veins as she tried to pull herself away from the source of the pain, but she was stuck fast, pinned between two stones, the gap between them too narrow for a human arm to fit in.

 

She must have been screaming, given the way the sound echoed around her, not just inside her skull, screaming louder than she ever had in her life, drawing the attention of every monster, their howls rising to meet hers. Every sound grew muffled as the stone shifted, pulling away, the air hitting her arm like powdered glass. The ground vibrated beneath her- something was coming, but she couldn't think of anything but the searing in her nerves, her gut being wrenched as she choked on her own bile. Everything was getting dark and hazy, what little strength was left in her sword arm failing her. She didn't even have her sword. The monsters were coming, they would tear her apart, but before they could reach, she would slip through the gap in the bridge, and probably die before she ever hit the bottom. Even as black creeped around the edges of her sight, the sky grew brighter, a brilliant white light engulfing everything. She was supposed to stay away from those; that's what everyone said, “don't go into the light”. But she couldn't stop herself. She was heavy and cold, unaware of anything but the scraping of her cuirass as it slid against stone.

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“ _A person who would sacrifice them self in order to save somebody else...”_

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A/N- So, this is a chapter I had in my mind for the longest time. Did it come out exactly as I wanted it to? Not really, but I blame that on the fact that it took over a month to write on and off, mostly because I've been in a very bad place (mentally and physically), while I wrote it. It's close enough to what I want; I have to settle for that, I'm afraid. I'm also afraid that this is the last update I'll be able to post for a while.


	22. Deja Vu

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Ch.22- “Deja Vu”

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She woke to screaming. It was not the first time; so many mornings during her short life in Castle Krakenburg, Azura's eyes would fly open at the sound of shrieks echoing through the halls as another one of her brothers or sisters was found dead in their bed. It was usually a maid or wet nurse that found them, though sometimes the cry would be torn straight from a mother's heart. That was what it sounded like now. She swallowed, nearly screaming herself from the pain it brought, and fought with her eyes to open them. She regretted it immediately. The sky. So bright. Too bright. Valla was blanketed in a thick layer of clouds, the sky only visible in fragments, like a broken mirror. There was never enough sky to be this bright.

 

Was she in Hoshido? Gods, please let her be in Hoshido. Please let her be home, carelessly asleep by the lake. The screaming had not stopped, but it wasn't fearful- at least, not the fearful of peasants being terrorized by Faceless. Afraid, but also angry, and melded with other voices. A refrain. An argument. The songstress tried to sit up, going stiff as the pain hit her. It brought tears to her eyes; she wanted to scream, but it felt as though her head would burst apart if she dared. She was not in Hoshido anymore than she was in Valla; those angry words were in the common tongue, peppered with a word or two she'd heard in Nohr but didn't understand. Her mother could have taught her, if she'd had any desire to learn.

 

Her mother... her mother, that she missed so much. Her mother, that she knew with every fiber of her being was dead and gone and never coming back, but she _had_ come back. For one wonderful, horrible moment, Azura hadn't felt alone. For just one second, there was someone else who she could lean on, who would have all the answers, who would protect them, protect _her_ from Anankos. He had known; he had known that she was weak and used her mother's voice and face as bait in a trap. And it _worked_. There was nothing so insulting as that. Bitter rage gave her just enough strength to roll over and push herself somewhat upright. Her arms shook as she struggled to keep herself sitting, bursts of light flashing before her eyes as her heart raced.

 

Ryouma and Hinoka could take a blow from a Faceless' fist and not even slow down. Sitting up winded her. Anankos didn't need to kill her to ensure she wasn't a threat; he could just wait for her to keel over on her own. Somehow, despite how pitifully weak she was, Azura managed to get her knees under her. She had barely felt the pain when that _thing_ wearing her mother's face attacked. Shock paralyzed her as her strength left with her blood. Nerr had carried her to the shore, and when she blinked, it was Camilla who had one arm around her and one hand on her wyvern's reins. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend it was her mother holding her, carrying her through the ruins of Gyges, and the streets of Nestra, and the halls of Krakenburg. A kindly knight, Empress Mikoto, even Ryouma...

 

There was no one to carry her now. They were too busy fighting, not the undead but one another. She wanted to tell them to stop, that their anger was just a trick that monster was using on them, but as she drew close enough to make sense of what was being said, her words died in her aching throat.

 

“Worse things than this have been healed! She'll be fine!”

“Elise?”

“I-I'm trying! I can't-- I don't-- I don't know what to do!”

“Move! Let me see her!” For every step Sir Gunther tried to take around her, Camilla moved to block him, gripping her ax like a knife, frost coating her gauntlet. As the older man took another step, she struck at him, forcing him back.

 

“Stay away! You monster! I won't let you hurt her!”

 _“_ _'_ _Hurt her'?”_ She couldn't tell if the tremor in his voice was from anger or fear, a mix of both of them making it crack as he screamed, “I'm the only one who's trying to _help_ her, you stupid, _stupid_ bitch! Magic can't grow back limbs!!”

“I'm afraid he's right, milady.” Kaze's voice alone seemed to be calm, and even it was strained. Camilla shook her head, curls flying about her face.

 

“No, he's not!” She turned to Elise and Sakura, who Azura only just noticed, despite them being on the ground. Perhaps because her eyes were turned up to where the conflict was coming from. “Elise. Elise, he's wrong. Tell that crazy bastard he's _wrong._ Tell him you can fix Nerr!”

“I--” The older woman grabbed her sister's arm tightly, earning a wince from the girl.

“ _You can make her better!”_

 

She remembered laying on the ground, watching the other princess run off somewhere. Now they had switched places, just like they had as children, as strangers. Azura wasn't in any position to run anywhere, but neither was Nerr as she lay flat on the almost familiar scrub. She couldn't see the other woman's face, but she must have been at least half awake with the ways he moved and spoke, even if they were just weak, jerky twitches and incoherent mutterings. Sakura held a staff that looked to be on it's last legs, the same one the girl had waved over her. That panicked look on her tear-streaked face did not bode well, but for her part, Azura could not see what was wrong.

 

There was blood on the grass. A lot of blood, as much blood as what dyed her dress, and Kaze had taken off his cloak, pressing it to the Nohrian princess' arm. Had... had that monster gotten to her as well? Everything had become a blur after the shock waves of pain began interspersing her dizziness. She should have run. She should have known better. A loud snap and a cry of pain woke her from her daze, and she glanced up, watching Sir Gunther stumble back, clutching his face. Bloody skin stuck to the side of Camilla's ax, thick frost crawling over it.

 

“I'm not going to tell you this again, old man! I'll rip your throat out before I let you mutilate my Nerr! _I'll_ take care of her! I--” Whatever she planned to do would remain a mystery as an armored hand grabbed her short cloak, throwing her roughly to the ground. Camilla screamed in fury and frustration as the knight stepped over her, kneeling beside Nerr. Azura hadn't noticed the ax he held, probably because it had remained at his side the entire time. She recognized it in passing; it was one of many Camilla kept strapped to her wyvern's saddle, a vicious, horrible thing with serrated teeth, more a saw than an ax.

 

“Hold her down.” Gunther ordered Kaze tersely, moving aside the ninja's bloody cloak. Azura didn't know what she had expected to see, but that was not it. She could barely make heads or tails of what she was looking at; it was red and black and didn't at all look like part of a human's body, but she didn't have long to dwell on it. As soon as she saw the ax rest on the bruised skin above the pulpy mess, she knew what would happen, but the gravity of it didn't set in until those sharp little teeth cut into the flesh and the screaming began in earnest. If Nerr hadn't been awake before, she was then, shrieking like the monsters that hunted them as she tried to escape, only to have her legs and chest pinned by Kaze and that Kougan pirate.

 

Azura turned away. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, but even in her mind, she could see the blurry halls of Krakenburg as her father's mistresses tore one another apart. There was never screaming like that in Hoshido. Even when people were executed in the square in Shirasagi, she didn't remember hearing them scream. She just remembered burying her face in her mother's bosom or Mikoto-sama's dress and crying, crying just like she was now, but there was no one here that she could hold to. Warm hands grabbed her shoulders and she forced herself to look up. Blinded by tears, all she could see was white and immediately thought to the empress. _'Mikoto-sama,'_ she wanted to cry, but that first syllable felt like someone had thrust a red-hot knife into her throat.

 

“Don't try to talk. C'mon, let's go.” The voice wasn't the ever-calm, comforting tone she had wanted, but she gladly let Hinoka pull her to her feet, leaning heavily on her older sister and following her blindly. She didn't know where they were going. She didn't even know where they were, but every step resulted in those ear-splitting screams getting fainter. They never stopped, no, but by the time Azura could no longer force herself to keep moving, she could almost block them out entirely if she kept her fingers in her ears. Hinoka sat her down, adjusting her like an oversized doll so her back was against a tree before taking a seat beside her.

 

So there were trees here, but that didn't narrow down the list of possibilities. The older woman said something, she could see her lips moving, but Azura was unwilling to unplug her ears to hear. She expected the fiery princess to pull her fingers away, to _make_ her listen. That was what she would normally do. That she didn't only compounded just how _wrong_ everything was now. A tiny part of her wished she would, just so things could feel normal again. Instead, Hinoka leaned closer to her, so Azura could hear her over the sound of her own rapid heartbeat.

 

“I said, are you okay?” Despite being so close that she could feel the warmth of the other woman's breath on her hand, her voice sounded hollow and far away, like pressing her ear against a shell. Was she okay? She was alive. That was as much as any of them could hope for, wasn't it? She nodded, wincing even as that tiny movement sent needles pricking through her nerves. Hinoka smiled, even though it looked tired. Everything about her looked tired.

 

Those once bright, energetic eyes now looked like they belonged to a corpse. The first princess of Hoshido never slaved over her appearance as most highborn ladies would, but she always made an effort to look presentable. With her hair tangled and filthy and dark circles under her eyes, she looked less like a princess and more like a vagrant. But still she smiled, her posture relaxing ever so slightly, as though a heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders.

 

“Good... that's good. You had us worried for a second there. But I knew Sakura would fix you up.” She'd lost so much time between that monster ripping her flesh apart with it's rotting teeth and now. She didn't even know what day it was.

“Wha... What hap...” She managed to breathe a few sounds, what was left of her voice a ragged whisper that sounded even harsher in her ears. They must have cut down that beast, surely; there would be no time to rest otherwise. Hinoka touched her arm, squeezing it slightly, the way she used to when they walked through the bazaar and heard people whispering cruel things about “the Nohrian bitch”.

“We tried to stop it. That... whatever that thing was. But there were too many of those creatures. One second, it looked like we were winning, then they started ambushing us, and Nerrida...” She trailed off, her jaw clenched tightly as a dark, burning anger flared up behind her eyes. She either scoffed or laughed bitterly, Azura couldn't tell. “Ryouma was right... I _do_ charge ahead too often. I should've seen that they got separated... but it doesn't matter. We'd have been overrun regardless. There were so many of them... When that light came, I honestly thought I had died for a second.”

 

“L-light...?”

“Stop talking! You're gonna mess yourself up doing that!” Hinoka sighed deeply, running a hand through her messy hair as she gazed up at the sky. “I can't even describe it. It was just... a light. As soon as I landed with Takumi, it appeared under our feet. Kinka nearly trampled us, he was terrified. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was some kind of Nohrian spell, but the Nohrians didn't have a clue what was going on either. I don't know where we are, but honestly, I'd jump into Garon's bed with him in it if it meant getting out of that hellhole...”

 

A bright light... looking around as best she could without turning her head, a sense of familiarity washed over Azura. She had seen a bright light at her feet before, at the fields in Hoshido, when she and Nerr and Jakob fled from her brother's wrath. Some strange fish appeared in a flash of light and whisked them away in another. It was not Hoshido, but it was safe enough. She sighed as well, suddenly more tired than she could ever remember being in her life. It was quiet and peaceful, and she'd have given anything to just curl up and go to sleep, but a sudden realization settled heavy in her gut. It _was_ quiet. There were no birds singing or insects chirping like Hoshido, but the screams she had been desperate to ignore had stopped as well. The look on Hinoka's face told that it was just as sudden and unexpected for her, that fear and dread like a boulder on her chest, but the moment her sister realized she'd heard the silence, she smiled again.

 

“Ah, don't worry. Nerrida probably just passed out. Azama told me that happened when he had to cut off a man's toes. It's not like she's dead or anything, ha ha... that would be terrible. I mean, if the only two people who actually had any idea what was going on in this fucking nightmare were incapacitated or dead, we wouldn't have any clue how to get home, and we'd just be trapped here forever until we _died!_ Ha. Ha. Hah...” Her smile remained in place, even as her eyes shone with tears and her lips trembled. Azura stared at her, dumbstruck even if she had been able to speak. For over a decade, she had seen the older princess every day, and had never once seen her look as close to breaking down as right now. Not when reports of villagers slaughtered by Faceless reached the castle, not when they burned incense for her father, not even when Mikoto-sama died.

 

Ryouma often teased his sister, reminding her that she'd been a crybaby years and years ago, long before the Vallite princess was brought into their family, but as far as she knew, Hinoka was incapable of such weakness. If someone so brave and strong could be brought so low... gods above, what chance did _she_ have? And yet, even as her sister's hands shook, _hers_ didn't. For as hurt and tired and afraid as she was, in that moment at least, _she_ was the strong one. She reached out, taking one of Hinoka's hands into both of her and squeezing it as tightly as she could, earning a watery, but grateful smile from the other woman. They stayed there for a while longer. It felt cowardly, running away from the aftermath of battle. It was what she had always done. She could never stand the sight of such injuries...

 

Blood and bruises she could stomach- gods only knew she had seen enough of them on her own limbs back in the hell that was Nohr, but the broken ribs and shattered bones and cuts so deep she could see white through the red... that was too much. She could do nothing in such cases, anyway. Sakura and Elise, little children, were more hardened battle veterans than she was... Hinoka's voice cut through the silence, and while she welcomed the distraction, all of Azura's nods and shakes of the head were autonomous.

 

Did she know where they were? Well, in a manner of speaking. She knew that strange beast called it the “Astral Realm”, though she could not have found it on a map for the life of her. Was this a part of Valla? No, certainly not. Of that much, she was sure. Had this sort of thing happened before? Yes, but that didn't mean she understood it anymore than Hinoka. Somehow, the two times she had been here, there had been more pressing things on her mind than understanding the ins and outs of warp spells. That pervasive sense of hopelessness had finally left Hinoka, but in it's place came an anxiousness that left her jittering. That, at least, was familiar.

 

“It's too quiet. If something bad happened, Ryouma would be roaring his head off, but I don't trust an anyan with an ax as far as I can throw them.” She was on her feet in an instant, her quick steps halting only when she noticed Azura trying to stand as well. She was at the singer's side at once, trying to make her sit. “No, you stay here, Azura. I'll be right back.” She refused, instead grabbing her sister's arm and trying to pull herself up. Hinoka sighed, heaving her to her feet. “When I _want_ you to come somewhere with me, I have to fight tooth and nail, but now all of a sudden, you just _have_ to tag along...” Azura could appreciate the attempted humor in her sister's teasing, even if it did open a vein of guilt she really didn't want to feel right now.

 

The red-haired princess was often more focused on her training and going out on missions to protect the villages of Hoshido than anything else, but there had been times in the past when she'd approached her, wanting to go out together. To fly or visit the bazaar, or even to accompany Azura to the lake. More often than not, she declined as politely as she could. Sometimes, she didn't want to deal with another person, too busy mulling over her mother's warnings and being trapped inside her own mind, but sometimes... it just made her angry. Despite their best attempts to convince her otherwise, she could never stop reminding herself that she was a replacement for the sister and daughter they'd lost.

 

The thought of going out and having fun with someone who would be thinking of someone else filled her with bitterness and misery and rage, and she regretted that so much now. She had squandered so many chances to enjoy having a happy family, and who knew if there would ever be any more? She wished she could have been like Nerr, completely ignorant of the idea that she was anyone's replacement (and wholly indifferent to the fact even if she had known). Speak of the devil, the other princess was gone. Everyone else was there- well, maybe not everyone- but the only sign that the Nohrian girl had been there was the blood... everywhere. She had only seen so much blood outside of a person when that person was dead.

 

Kaze sat, rubbing sand over his hands to try and clean them, his usual posture slumped and exhausted. Elise sat a few feet away from him, hugging her knees as she rocked herself back and forth, tears streaming down her face in silence. The staff beside her was smeared with blood as well, and while it didn't show up against the black, it must have been thick on her gloves. It certainly showed up on Sakura, her own gloves a disgusting rust color, as though she had been playing in river mud. Everyone looked worse than they did after a battle. For the first time, Azura wished she'd had the stomach to have visited the healing tents in Shirasagi, to have some idea of what happened in them, for surely no reality could be worse than the horrors already starting to form behind her eyes. Ryouma alone noticed their return, quickly approaching them and taking Azura's weight unto himself.

 

“It's good to see you awake, sister. Are you feeling well? Do you need to be healed again?” If the burning that had begun to encompass the entirety of her neck was anything to go by, she did, but even a quick glance would reveal that no one had the strength for that. She shook her head, a minuscule twitch, too afraid to agitate the still raw flesh with more. He sighed, in that one moment looking more tired than she ever remembered seeing him. The front of his robes were red, not the bright enamel of his armor but the same ugly brownish red that seemed to stain everyone, and she noticed blood flaking off around his lips. Dread took root in her gut, and Ryouma noticed her staring. He offered a slight grin. “Ah, don't worry, sister. My most grievous injury of late was self-inflicted. I may well have lost half my tongue if not for Princess Elises' thorough healing.”

 

Were they back home, the notion of Hoshido's emperor biting through his tongue could have been amusing, but here, where everything was stacked against them, she could only imagine him drowning in his own blood. He didn't seem concerned with how easily he could have died, half-carrying her over to a nearby rock and sitting her down on it. Vaguely, she noticed a large cave not too far away, conspicuous amongst the vast expanse of nothing. That was the shelter they'd rested in after their first visit to Anankos' domain. She'd been so hopeful then, so naïve in thinking that somehow, they could march up to the mad god and vanquish him. The realization of how stupid and hopeless this all was becoming settled over her like a cold fog. She could feel the weight of Ryouma's hand on her shoulder, but not the warmth.

 

“Do you remember anything that happened, Azura?” Before waking up here? There were only bits and pieces, and even they seemed blurry and disjointed, like trying to recall a dream. The one thing that was clear was her mother's voice. It wasn't the vague and distant memory that she had clung to all these years, no. She heard it, loud and clear, resounding inside her skull. That, that more than anything, was what broke her. It didn't matter what that beast had looked like, it _sounded_ so warm and familiar, and the moment it spoke, she was a child again. Her mother taught her how to swim as well as sing, no future exalt could be afraid of water. There was a lake in the woods outside Krakenburg; her mother had taken her there and tried to coax her into the water with that same sweet voice and warm smile, _“Don't worry, sweet girl; mommy's right here. Jump!”_

 

She never wanted to jump so badly in her life. Hot tears dripped onto chest, cutting streaks through the filth and blood. She couldn't bear this, anyone seeing her so miserable and pathetic, but there was nowhere to hide but behind her hands. Hinoka wrapped her up in her arms, which only made her sob harder, to her shame and disgust. ' _What kind of exalt breaks down in front of everyone, Mother...?'_ It wasn't done. Ryouma never cried, not once. Neither did Garon, even when he stood beside her for her mother's funeral, his hand big and cold around hers. Mikoto cried sometimes, but it was always, _always_ in private, usually in Nerr's old room where no one but prying, nosy servants and her children could hear.

 

She could not do as they did. She could not swallow her feelings _and_ be strong enough for an entire kingdom to lean on. _'My halidom will crumble atop me...'_ Somewhere behind her, Xander heaved a frustrated sigh. From her periphery, Azura thought she'd seen him talking to Camilla, but she had paid them little mind.

 

“There is nothing we _can_ do, sister. There are all of three people with any idea as to what's going on here, two are incapable of explaining anything, and the third is going out of his way to be as unhelpful as possible.” Indeed, there was little available for them in that desolate plain. The most they could do was set up a camp. Well, some of them. Most of their small group seemed in just as bad shape as she was, if not worse. Leo was sleeping behind his older siblings- at least, she _hoped_ he was only sleeping. His retainer was lying down as well, curled into a trembling ball, his lips moving ceaselessly. Beside him, the gray-haired mercenary that served Xander sat slumped in a catatonic state. He hadn't blinked once since she'd noticed him.

 

The Kougan pirate, Shura he called himself, must have been off near one of the sparse woods, for when he came back, his arms were filled with kindling. As Camilla set to starting a fire, a flash of something silvery caught Azura's tired eyes. She recognized that strange fish that Nerr had dubbed “Lilith”. The orb she carried between her stumpy legs swallowed the light, feeding the opalescent swirls within. As she crept closer, the others took notice as well, some reaching for their weapons, most too exhausted to even try putting up a fight.

 

“What the hell is this thing?” Takumi had slowly approached, fingers wrapped around his yumi, eyes narrowed. “Some kind of Vallite pigeon?”

“Lilith?” Xander lowered his own hand as it brushed against his sword's pommel. “I've seen you before, beast. I heard your voice.”

|In that case, you should refrain from calling me 'beast', milord. That's not kind.| The tension did not ease, but had blended with curiosity. Ryouma approached the Nohrian prince, looking between him and the strange cryptid.

 

“This... thing was there when we were first attacked in Valla. Do you know it, Lord Xander?”

“I do not know the creature before me, but I know it's voice belongs to my sister's equerry.” The creature in question made a low yowling sound, like an angry cat, loud enough to make them all flinch. Her tail flicking furiously would have been unnerving had she looked so similar to the beautiful fighting fish from Izumo. Izana-dono adored them, and had shown her large tanks filled with them when she visited with Empress Mikoto years ago. That was all she could think of as she watched the piscine creature before her bob in the air.

 

|This 'thing' has a voice and a name. If you have questions for me, then ask them _of me._ | The Hoshidan emperor frowned slightly, turning towards her.

“Very well, then. What is your name, what are you, and why do you seem to appear when my sister seems like to die?” If she was upset or offended by those inquires, she did not show it. Despite the human intelligence behind those unnaturally large eyes, her face was more akin to an animal's, not emoting beyond a narrowing of the eyes.

 

|I am Lilith. I am a dragon, but more importantly, I am Lady Nerr's servant. I must aid my ladyship when no one else is able to.| Shura snorted as he fed the flames.

“ _That's_ a dragon? It looks like something I'd fist out of river mud and serve with butter.”

“What does and doesn't constitute a dragon is not important now.” Xander hurriedly brushed off the older man. “Do you know what this place is, Lilith?”

|Yes. I wanted to tell you earlier, but everything was chaos...| The longer she spoke, the closer the Nohrian retainers drew. Azura hadn't even noticed them until she realized that Odin had stopped rocking, and Lazwald finally shifted his gaze. |This place is called the Astral Plane. It's where I call home, and the only place I could think of where you might be safe--|

 

“I know you.” They all turned to see Selena approaching. She alone of her fellows had gotten to her feet, her steps unsteady as a newborn fawn's. Her gaze, black with malice, did not waver, though. She pointed a shaking finger at Lilith. “I know that voice.”

|Well... you _did_ visit the citadel with Lady Camilla. I lived there for five years--|

“That was the first voice we heard in Valla. You looked human then.”

“That's right...” Lazwald muttered. “A fair maid, with golden eyes and hair the color of the sky. I never forget a pretty face, even when it's trying to kill me.”

 

|I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met any of you in person.|

“You _met_ us in Valla with an army of the dead!” Selena unsheathed her sword, breathing hard, a manic look in her eyes. Camilla approached her, laying her hands on the other woman's shoulders.

“Selena, calm yourself, sweetie. You can explain--” The red-haired retainer roughly shrugged off her hands, never looking away from the small dragon.

“Do you really think we'd just _forget_ that whole encounter!? Did you really think we wouldn't recognize one of Anankos' monsters, the one claiming to be his 'daughter'!?”

 

“What!?”

“ _Daughter?”_

“What is this insanity?” Lilith sank further, her tail twitching faster and faster.

 

|N-no... you're wrong. That's not me-- I-I didn't--|

“This is all your fault! It's your fault we're here! You've been working for him all this time!!”

|No! I didn't! Please!| With a piercing shriek, Selena charged, her sword raised and ready to cut the small being in half. Azura's breath caught in her throat. She expected Lilith to cry out in fear, to try and flee, but she simply remained where she was. The orb she clutched grew brighter, and that brilliant light once again blinded her, but this time, it did not appear at her feet, but rather, Selena's. The red-haired woman gasped, but before she could even think to run in the opposite direction, she vanished, only the afterimage of the light burned into their eyes remaining. Camilla cried out in horror, whipping out her Artemis.

 

“What have you done with her!? Tell me, you monster!”

|Your precious retainer is back in Valla, and that's where the rest of you are going to end up if one more person dares raise a weapon to me.| It was as if a different person had spoken. The demure, retiring voice Azura had grown used to in the short time she'd known the creature was gone, and in it's place was a cold, commanding presence. Despite her warning, Odin and Lazwald had risen, tome and sword in hand.

“It _is_ you... Come back to finish what you've started, beast?” If it was possible for an animal to sneer, she would have twisted her whole face.

 

|If I wanted to kill you, outsiders, I'd have left you all where you were. Anankos had you well in hand, just as he did last time. And yet, you're miraculously not dead.|

“So you no longer deny it?” Xander stepped forward, Siegfried in hand, though it remained lowered. “You _are_ one of Anankos' creations?”

|Inasmuch as you are one of King Garon's creations. I am his daughter. I did not ask to, nor want to, be born, and yet I was.|

“So why did you not leave us to our deaths?” Ryouma stood beside the other prince, the white hot blade of sword poised to strike. “Why go against the wishes of your master?” She growled again, low in her throat.

 

|My _master_ is Lady Nerr. I saved you all out of the goodness of my heart because she cares for you. I, however, do not. You are all nothing to me. Strangers who'd clearly turn on me the moment you have a chance, the lot of you!| As the older royals glared at her, Elise crept forward, clutching her staff as tightly as a rock in the midst of a stormy sea.

“So... you're _not_ working for Anankos?”

|If I were, you'd be dead. The lot of you.|

“Or you'd be leading us into a trap.” Xander spat. “Am I to believe this mad god's spawn is trying to _help_ the greatest threat to him? Even now, you threaten us! Gods know what you've done with Selena...”

|I threaten _you_. Never, not once, have I done anything to harm Lady Nerr. I would give my life for her. She is not you. For years, I greeted you at the Citadel's gates, and the only reply I ever got was you barking orders at me.| The crown prince deflated a bit under her gaze. |You've no power here, _sire._ You are under my protection, but only at _my_ leisure, and if _anyone_ raises a weapon to me, I will gladly sit back and watch while the Vallites rip you limb from limb.|

 

Silence hung over them, heavy and cold as death. Slowly, the swords and axes lowered and returned to their sheathes. Huffing, Lilith closed her massive eyes, the orb glowing brighter until it's light swallowed her and left nothing but emptiness. She was gone, but only for a few seconds. They had no chance to shield their eyes as the light returned, brighter this time, and holding two forms within it. Selena whipped around, barely able to grip her sword, her hand shook so terribly. She was covered in scratches and bruises, thick moss spreading over her jerkin and rooting into her hair.

 

The moment she realized where she was (or perhaps, where she _wasn't_ ), she dropped her sword, falling to her knees and weeping. Camilla swooped down upon her at once, raising her back to her feet and carrying her away from the circle of staring eyes. Xander's jaw was tight as he watched, and Azura wondered if he was afraid of this tiny dragon, or else, simply furious that he was at it's mercy. “Mercy”, ha! What mercy did anything a part of Anankos know? Ryouma sat where he'd stood, crossing his legs the way he always did when he needed to meditate. Despite his deep breaths, she could see his hands shaking ever so slightly atop his knees, but his voice was steady when he spoke.

 

“How does Anankos' spawn come to serve his would-be destroyer? Especially considering you've already attempted to kill three people who threatened him, unless you still deny that?”

|I deny nothing. I tried to kill those outsiders- and failed obviously. I don't regret it, and I'm not sorry, either.|

“Lilith!” Elise whined. “How can you be so mean?” The small dragon turned to face the young girl.

|Do you call your brothers and sister mean for killing at your father's behest? No? Then why judge _me?_ Anankos is, even now, my father. Not in the way humans might think, but... he gave me life.| She curled up around her orb, sinking until it brushed the sand. |I was a good, dutiful daughter... All I did was for my exalt, for our Valla... all I did was for him...|

 

“Not... anymore...” The words were on her tongue before she even thought to say them. Her throat screamed in agony, but the anger burning inside her helped Azura ignore the pain. “Why... turn on... him?” Lilith didn't face her, remaining as still as a fish could (which was to say, not very).

 

|...I didn't. All I did was for Anankos, and all I do is for him still. I was connected to him, for a time. I knew what he knew, saw what he saw, felt what he felt. Not everything, but enough.| She looked up at the royals. |Is it not kinder to take an old, lame horse behind the stables and kill it? Do you not put down a sick, blind dog? If your fathers lived their days in madness and pain, would you not prefer to grant them an easy, dignified death, rather than draw out their suffering until nature finally has mercy on them? … 'Nerr'... I knew that name from him. If he was so terrified of this girl that he'd try to kill her as a newborn babe, then he must have known she would be strong enough to do what I could not. Serving my liege lord is the only way I can serve my father now...|

 

They all stared at her, with equal parts fear and anger, but they all seemed relegated to the fact that there was nothing they could do about her lest they wished to return to Valla. Azura's fear had died, with loathing taking it's place. This... this ugly, misshapen _beast_ was a part of Anankos. She had willingly entered the lair of the monster that drove her from her home, who killed her mother and turned her body against her. This creature, hardly bigger than a house cat, looked nothing like a dragon, but then again, she had not thought “dragon” when she first saw the cervine monstrosity Nerr twisted into either. There had been depictions of the draconic god who blessed Valla, charms worn to ward off evil, and esoteric designs made of glass that hung in the temples, but she had never liked them. They were ugly, and hard to make heads or tails of.

 

No, Azura remembered their god as the statues near the castle. She had been so young when she saw them, but they remained crystal clear in her mind, a slender man with a gentle smile and gentle eyes. The statues she remembered had their eyes set with precious stones, rubies and emeralds and sapphires. The ones she liked best had been the ones with gold poured into the carved holes, that made him look like her. Her mother had told her that her grandfather, and her grandfather's grandfather, all had golden eyes, ever since Cadros first partook of Anankos' blood. It always made her feel strong, to know that she shared _some_ quality with a god. Lilith had the same yellow eyes that she and her mother shared. A part of Anankos... a part of that monster... Her hands balled into fists, and for a moment, she imagined wrapping them around the wretched trout's nonexistent neck and squeezing, but she quickly pushed that thought from her mind.

 

Even if that wouldn't leave them stranded in this desolate limbo, what could she hope to do with her meager strength? Her hands were soft and weak, better suited for healing than violence, and even that was beyond her ken. The only weapon she had was her voice... and it was gone. Taken by Anankos, just as he took everything else. What little strength she had gathered left her, and the singer laid on the ground, curling into herself. She was as lost and defenseless as she'd been when she first fled Valla, only now, her mother was not there to guide or shield her.

 

She must have dozed off, for when she awoke, someone had covered her and stuffed a thin blanket under her head. A fire crackled, warm golden light casting long shadows over her as the others sat around it. Their voices weren't nearly as low as they usually were. It felt normal. It felt safe, almost as safe as being back in Shirasagi. Azura was torn between joining them and dozing off once more, but the snippets she caught of weapons this and unit numbers that made the choice for her, and her eyes grew heavy. As sleep nearly consumed her, a strangely confident voice reminded her to speak- or at least, try to communicate- to Hinoka when next she woke about teaching her how to properly wield a lance. She had picked up naginatas here and there, more because it afforded her a wide berth against any hypothetical foes, but she never bothered learning anything like “form” or “technique”. She always thought the magic in her songs would be enough. It wasn't.

000

 

Despite the sun pricking her eyes, the warmth Azura felt came from beneath her, a familiar thrum of energy that made the fine hairs on her arms stand on end. Almost like there was a Dragon Vein below her, but too faint, too spread out. Reluctantly opening her eyes, the dull sand she had expected was covered with a layer of green. The grass was sparse, tender shoots only just beginning to rise from the earth, but they were there, along with tiny flowers, specks of white and blue and yellow. Groaning, she sat up, pushing tangled ropes of azure from her face and wincing as her fingers caught in one of the many snares. Mind and eyes still muddled with sleep, it took several blinks before she could see the world around her clearly.

 

The desolate plain looked... alive. Not just for the grass and flowers and trees that were almost abundant now, but for the people inhabiting it. They were no longer a tired, huddled mass, but looked almost like a real encampment, complete with tents and cooking fires (she could assume where all the excess canvas came from, but thought little of it). Sakura stood at one beside Kaze, who looked up from the fleshy red thing he was busy with, locking eyes with Azura. He said something to Sakura, and in her haste to run over, she nearly stepped in the coals. The urge to chastise her for her recklessness was strong- almost as strong as the gleeful desire to relate the story of the red shoes- but the scratching when she tried to speak normally was stronger still. She swallowed painfully as the younger girl knelt beside her.

 

“Oh, n-nee-sama! I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke! I was- I was helping around camp...” Azura shook her head and smiled, hoping her sister would realize it wasn't the end of the world. Of course, the youngest Hoshidan princess found her fragile nerves overwhelmed even in the calmest of situations. She was proud Sakura had kept herself together as well as she did. Pulling out a water skin, she offered it to the older woman, who drank deeply, not realizing how dry and foul her mouth felt until that moment. It was surprisingly cool, and fresher than she had expected. She knew there was a tiny stream somewhere, Nerr had found it the second time they'd come, but she didn't think it was large enough to provide water for more than one or two people.

 

“Wh--” She cleared her throat. “Where--”

“Shh! Don't talk! You'll hurt yourself!” As Sakura began unwrapping her dressings, Azura shook the skin, raising an inquiring brow. “Oh! Where did we find the water? There was a-a stream. It was small, but th-there was a Dragon Vein next to it. There are Veins everywhere here, but they're... weird. Hinoka nee-sama and X-Xander-sama had to use it together just to activate it. But now, it's a big stream! There are even f-fish in it!”

 

Azura frowned, trying not to cringe as her sister inspected the new, pink flesh covering her throat. She distinctly remembered Nerr pulling more of the cave behind them from the earth by her lonesome, not to mention starting the river. If there were Dragon Veins lying around, anyone of royal blood should have been able to use them without issue. Then again, she had only just begun to feel the flow of magic through the land. They used the Veins just fine in Valla, despite the land there being utterly destroyed by Anankos, so why not here? She let her frustrated thoughts trail off, Sakura's voice growing clearer the less she focused on irritants.

 

“--now that there are more trees, we can repair our weapons, and make tents, and there are even fruits on some of them! _Normal_ fruits! We won't have to eat dried rations anymore!” That was comforting. Perhaps _some_ semblance of normality would improve everyone's spirits. It already seemed to be working, and she continued watching the others tend to their weapons and clothes even as Sakura nearly jammed the festal into her mouth. “Everything _seems_ okay- I can't really see that well. If we were back in Shirasagi... B-but, I'm sure you'll be okay!” She retracted the staff, wiping it on her skirt as Azura coughed and gagged.

 

“Serious wounds require more rehabilitation than magic, but I-I don't know how to exercise a v-voice...” She looked away, twisting the thin maple festal in her hands. The singer's first inclination was to assure the girl that she knew enough about voices to figure it out on her own, but there was something else behind Sakura's eyes that gave her the impression vocal warm-ups weren't what was concerning her. She laid her hand on her sister's elbow, leaning forward to try and take the strain off her throat when she half spoke, half whispered.

 

“What-- what is--?” The younger girl started, as if she'd forgotten she wasn't alone.

“Oh! I-it's nothing! Nothing, really... I was just thinking. Hinoka nee-sama brought one of mother's festals from the capital, a really old one. It's strong, stronger than anything I've used before. I was just wondering if... m-maybe I should use _that._ O-on you, I mean. Uh, Elise-san has an antique staff, too. She used it on Nerr nee-sama back at the Chasm- she had a broken arm- and... I-- I've never seen a staff work so well. Maybe... maybe she's just a better healer than me. She can-- she can use magic better than me, so maybe she could do more with a normal staff, but-- but if a stronger staff could help you, maybe I should--” She ran out of breath, panting. The more she spoke, the more watery her eyes became, and Azura had to reach up and dry them before the tears fell.

 

“You're a... a good healer.”

“No, I'm not! If I were, you wouldn't sound like you've been gargling with gravel!” She sniffled, tightening her grip on the festal until hairline cracks appeared between her hands. “That's it! I-I'm gonna go get that staff!” The singer grabbed her arm, holding her in place and not loosening her grip when Sakura winced.

“Don't.”

“But--!”

 

“ _Don't._ If you... if it's strong... we'll need it. Later.” Every word felt like it was being pulled from her throat with a rusty hook, and she stop. If she had paper and ink, she'd write a treatise detailing all the horrors they'd yet to face, all the horrible things she might need to heal, but in the absence of such things, Azura could do nothing but stare imploringly at the girl, hoping she would see the dire warning she could not speak. Slowly, that fervor which had come so quickly, left her, and the young princess was once more her wilting self.

 

“Y-you're right, nee-sama... That was a foolish thought.” _'Not foolish; kind...'_ She drew Sakura to her, stroking her hair which had gotten longer, almost brushing her shoulders. She'd cut it short to emulate Hinoka, who claimed that a true warrior couldn't waste time making sure their hair was “pretty”. Once, Mikoto had teasingly asked what she made of Ryouma and Takumi, the eldest daughter quickly remarking that they spent more time in front of a mirror than her. Ryouma laughed it off easily, but Takumi had turned bright red and stormed off, as he usually did when someone poked at him, even in jest. Reaching up to her own tangled bird's nest, Azura wondered at the legitimacy of Hinoka's claim, but didn't have long to think on it as a blur of blonde and black dashed up to her.

 

“Heeey! You're awake!! Finally!” Elise's hair was still long, brushing her hips, but the ends of her long blonde tails were definitely shorter than they had been. If the loss of several inches of hair bothered her, the Nohrian princess certainly didn't show it, sitting down beside Azura as gracefully as she could with a bowl of something steaming in one hand. The smell of it, whatever it was, made the singer's mouth water. Elise handed her the bowl which, despite it's watery broth, contained chunks of fresh carrots and onions and even what looked like a few pieces of dark brown meat. “Here ya go! I don't know if you can swallow big chunks- I think they're pretty soft, that grungy pirate doesn't seem like he can cook well-, but even if you can't, it'll make the broth taste better!” She slapped Azura's back, probably harder than she intended. “You've got to keep your strength up.”

 

The thought of eating something cooked by some thief lower than a sellsword made her uncomfortable- in truth, everything about the Kougan man made her uncomfortable- but she reminded herself that if someone wanted to kill her for whatever reason, they'd have a perfectly easy time just sliding a knife into her belly. She gingerly tasted it. Unseasoned, but still better than the mush they'd been eating since arriving in Valla. Elise beamed at her, and Sakura too was pleased that she was able to swallow, however slowly. The Nohrian princess stretched out, at ease here as much as she would have been in Krakenburg. If only they were all so carefree.

 

“I've been making rounds and checking on everyone. Xander says that if this was a real regiment, we'd have a healing tent, but since the hurt can't come to me, I have to go to them. I thought maybe Odin hit his head since he's not acting like he normally does, but I think his problem is more than a staff can fix...” There were many problems magic could not fix, fear and dread chief among them. A faint voice in her head, _Magic can't grow back limbs..!_ soured her appetite. Setting the bowl beside her, she turned to Elise. The warmth eased her raw throat somewhat, though her voice was still a harsh breath.

 

“How is Nerr?” The chipper air around her vanished right along with her smile. Drawing her knees to her chest, the Nohrian girl remained silent, looking off towards the mountains. The dread in Azura's stomach felt like a fist.

“Sh-she's okay!” Sakura piped in, trying and failing to adopt Elise's cheerful attitude. “We checked on her earlier. She's still asleep, but sh-she looks okay. From what I saw...” Azura raised a brow. “I-I couldn't examine her as thoroughly as I'd like... Gunther-sama ch-chased us out...”

“He didn't 'chase' us.” Elise noted, and the Hoshidan girl flinched.

“Not _literally_ , but he was r-really scary! B-besides, Nerr nee-sama was fine. She had a little fever, but s-staves can't do much for that.” The blonde girl huddled into a tighter ball, digging her fingers into her thick sleeves.

 

“Camilla told me that one of our brothers died from a fever. He was perfectly fine and then he got sick and died, and none of the healers Father called in could help.” Sakura's eyes had grown wider in horror with each word.

“That's horrible... I-I'm so sorry...!” Violet met coral, Elise frowning slightly.

“Don't be. I didn't know him. He died before I was even born. I don't even remember his name- it was 'Elric' or something.” Azura vaguely associated a face with a similar name; Ulric, with the dark hair and dark eyes and smug grin when he called her a whore's bastard. She felt as little learning of this old death as Elise. “Camilla mentioned that it was probably poison- it was always poison back then. But... but what if it wasn't?” She looked to the songstress beside her, as though _she_ had the answers, brows pinched in her fear. “What if he just got sick and died, and now big sister is going to die, too?”

 

“She won't.” Azura whispered.

“But what if she _does?!”_

“She _won't_. Nerr is... too stubborn to die... from a silly fever.” Sakura nodded.

 

“That's right. Sh-she's had a fever before, and was perfectly fine.” Azura wondered if she was thinking back to their narrow escape from the forest of Mokushuu. Of course, the younger princess had been in and out of consciousness herself the whole time. It had been more than a little fever that struck the Nohrian woman, but it was for the best if neither girl realized just how close their sister came to death even before they set foot in Valla. Some of the dread was beginning to ease from Elise's face.

 

“I guess...”

“U-um... Elise-san? I was hoping you could, um, t-tell me more about those Nohrian tonics you have. I-it might help Nerr nee-san, and you know a lot more about them than I do...” That was all it took to shake her from her doldrums. The blonde girl jumped to her feet smiling widely.

“Sure! I already have them laid out- I have to rearrange them. It'll be great to finally be the one who knows something; Leo always says the things I don't know could fill an encyclopedia, but I'll show him!” She grabbed the other girl's wrist, dragging her off to one of the farther corners of the camp.

 

Azura sincerely doubted Nohrian potions were so different from Hoshidan concoctions that Sakura did not already have a firm grasp on them, but it was kind of her to help distract Elise. The enmity that had been present before, at least from Elise's end, seemed to be completely gone. She knew it was because there was a larger threat for them to focus on their hatred on, but gods, if only things could stay like this. If all Hoshidans and Nohrians could get along so easily. Maybe without Anankos' poison eking into their countries, they could. The thought of that wretched beast made her heart pound, and she inhaled deeply to calm herself, bringing a hand to her chest. The ridges of her pendant pressed into her palm.

 

Sakura had spoken of ancient healing magic. Her pendant and song were ancient enough, passed down through her bloodline for centuries, and while it couldn't _heal_ per se, it could remove the taint of dark magic. Such as Anankos' influence. It _was_ one of his unholy abominations that attacked her, something his evil claws sculpted into the form of her mother. Maybe cleansing herself of whatever lingering malice lay under her skin would see her healed faster. Inhaling once more, Azura opened her mouth, feeling a familiar warmth rise up in her chest... but no words left her tongue. She had only just warned Sakura to save any powerful magic until they actually needed, and what was she doing?

 

Her fingers closed around the pendant, the edges of it digging painfully into her hand. _'Stupid thing... what's the point of having power if I can't use it...?'_ But she _had_ used it. Three times, no less. She tried to think that it didn't count that last time in Cyrkensia, but she had felt so lightheaded afterwards, and it had been days until the dizzy spells finally stopped. She didn't have days when even one misstep could spell her death. She remembered her mother's warnings, when she'd taught her how to draw out the magic in her blood. Only for emergencies. Only when there was no other choice. There hadn't been a choice _then_ , when Nerr and Takumi and Ryouma and Xander had all been so angry that they would've destroyed everything and everyone around them, like feral dogs. That was her only weapon against Anankos; if she was going to die using it, she would rather die seeing the pain in his horrible, wicked face than somehow off herself trying to _heal_ herself.

 

This wasn't an emergency. She just needed time and rest, two things that were in short supply but that she'd have to scrounge up somehow. And to exercise. Being silent for the longest time was impossible- there was too much she knew, too much no one else did. Placing a hand over her throat, she hummed, lowering her register until she no longer felt the vibrations against her fingers, but thrumming deep in her chest. She frowned deeply. Ugh... she would sound like she was trying to disguise herself as a man. And poorly at that. And to imagine singing like that... Her mother's voice was deeper than hers, a rich alto. Everything she sang sounded so powerful; that was one of the reasons Garon noticed her, after a day of listening to the sopranos in the Grand Palais.

 

Azura tried to remember some of the songs she used to sing for the king, when he would stare at her like an utterly besotted boy. They were pretty, she remembered that... but nothing else. Nohrian songs that she pushed from her memory when she realized her father considered her as good as dead in favor of his new little pawn. She wanted to forget as much about the western kingdom as possible, and now that she'd succeeded, she regretted it. The pirates that had brought them to Dia sang a Nohrian song. She remembered the melody perfectly, but the lyrics had gotten muddled after so much else had happened. Nerr had said she would teach them to her, but glancing back at the cave, she remembered that the other princess was indisposed at the moment.

 

Looking around the camp once more, that hopeful feeling from before was nowhere to be found. For the first time in a long while, she realized just how lonely she felt. There was no time to feel lonely when she was always on edge and afraid as they made their way across the continent. And even in those rare instances when they found somewhere to rest that was relatively safe, she had always been distracted by _something._ How could she feel lonely when there was no chance to feel anything but fear? But now, there was. Now, she could do nothing, could speak to no one. Once again, she was a child in Hoshido, watching all the other children run about and play, knowing she would not be welcome in their group. It was impossible to tell if her eyes watered because of how tight her throat was, or if it had tightened because of the stinging in her eyes.

 

Sniffling and forcing those useless feelings back down where they belonged, Azura wiped her eyes on her glove and got to her feet. She could do _something_. She needed to find something to do, lest she go mad. Without thinking, she found herself softly humming some Hoshidan song, the lyrics taking a moment to reach her mind. It was a pretty but sad song about a kimono maker that Oboro had always hated. She'd heard from Hinata that while they were on an errand for Takumi, she'd heard a musician performing it in the street and smashed his shamisen. Needless to say, no one was happy when he came to the castle looking for restitutions, but Takumi had still been sympathetic to her plight. Azura wasn't nearly as forgiving. It was sad that her parents were killed, but plenty of people's parents were killed. Her father had been murdered in cold blood by Anankos, and she wasn't going around breaking things any time someone sang a hymn to the Ancient Ones.

 

She wished she had a shamisen. She could only pluck a few notes, but it would be nice to make music. A familiar sound, almost as pretty as a well-played koto, reached her ears. She let her feet lead her farther into a wood that hadn't been nearly so thick the last time she'd been in that direction, the ground still free of leaves. Water lapping softly against a shore could draw her into a tiger pit, but just being close to fresh water put her mind at ease in a way precious few things could. The lake was not nearly as large as the one just outside Shirasagi, but it was easy enough to impose the image in her mind onto this one. Made even easier by the sight of Takumi sitting beside the shore. The sight of him, wrapping fresh leather around the grip, was so familiar that for a moment, she forgot where she was.

 

No more Valla, no more strange dragon lands, no more death and darkness, just the warmth and comfort of home. That sense of ease was destroyed by the shrieking of a wyvern flying overhead. She recognized it as Camilla's, skimming over the canopy above her without it's rider. Not an attack, thank the gods, but a reminder of where she was was and the heavy sense of dread that came with it. Takumi had started as well, and in searching for the threat, he'd spotted her. The Fuujin's glowing throng had materialized briefly, but it quickly fizzled out. A few months ago, he would have aimed that bow at her, she knew it just as well as he did. A few months ago, he would have glared at her until she left, and even though he looked away first now, she felt no more welcome in his presence. They were not close. Even if he tolerated her, they would never be _close_ , and her dragging him into this nightmare would not help that. She could come back later. As she turned, trying to figure out where Hinoka or Ryouma could possibly be, a low voice gave her pause.

 

“You're giving me that look again...” She flinched. She wasn't even _facing_ him...

“I don't... I'm not...”

“ _That_ look.” She glanced back, and he'd turned around completely to face her, his yumi laying across his lap and a churlish pout playing around his mouth. He wouldn't appreciate being told he looked like a sulky child. “That 'you're doing something wrong' look. What did I do _this_ time? Are my socks inside out? Did I not finish my breakfast?” _'Well, you're acting more petulant than usual...'_ It was for the best she couldn't speak. His eyes darkened. “Or maybe you just wanted to say what a shitty bowman I am.”

 

Azura frowned. She had no idea what he was going on about. It wasn't that unusual; the second prince of Hoshido often sank into such dark moods, where he would lash out at any and everyone. Ryouma assured them all that he was simply at _that_ age and would grow out of it in a few years, but Mikoto had always looked upset when he brushed off his brother's anger. Indeed, looking at him now, it was difficult to see a simple “phase” that would end if left alone for a few hours. It was best not to point out anything _wrong_ , but she could definitely see how mussed his hair was, crusted blood darkening the pale strands near his scalp, to say nothing of the dark circles under his eyes. He looked a mess, and sounded one too.

 

“You know I could've killed that monster before it even got close to you. I could've killed it, and then we'd have been safe. But I didn't. So it's _my_ fault.” Any thoughts of leaving vanished, and the singer turned, walking closer to her brother.

“Takumi, no.”

“Takumi, _yes!_ You know it's my fault, _I_ know it's my fault, and everyone else does too! It's my fault you and Nerr nee-san are both hurt, and it's my fault we're _stuck_ here!” He knocked the yumi from his lap as he reached up, clutching his head. Azura could see where his nails were digging into the flesh there. She closed the gap between them, almost running, before kneeling before him and pulling his hands away.

 

“Th-that's... not true!”

“It is!” He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes wide and unseeing. Or just seeing something she couldn't. She could feel the tendons in his arms, like steel bars as he trembled. “I can _feel_ it- that voice in my head. It won't stop. It won't shut up! It just keeps reminding me how much I _hated_ you two!” He looked at her now, but with the horror and tears glistening in his eyes, it still seemed doubtful that he actually _saw_ her as she knelt before him. “I wanted you both out of my life so badly, I wished you would just _die_ , right along with all Nohrians! And now... and now, I'm getting my wish.” With every blink, tears fell faster. “Maybe we were lucky this time, but what about the next time? Or the one after that? I prayed to the gods to get rid of you for so long, and one of them listened and now, I can't take it back...! If you die, it's all my fault!!”

 

Silent tears turned into outright sobs, and Azura wrapped her arms around his shoulders, rubbing his back. It was a mark of how distressed he was that he didn't push her away, or even resist. He simply leaned into her, weeping into her hair and sniffling piteously. He sounded so young, so sad, his voice muffled.

 

“The gods are punishing me for being so horrible. First, they took away Mother, then Hinata, and now, they're going to take away everyone else and I'm going to be all alone!” The singer frowned and pulled away, holding Takumi's face tightly in her hands.

“Shhh.” She needed him to stop blubbering as she leaned forward, humming to find her chest voice again. “Takumi... the gods... don't care about you.”

“But--!” She covered his mouth with the whole of her hand.

 

“You're not important enough... for them... to notice. _No one..._ is punishing you.” Every word felt like it was being pulled form her throat in duress, but she could practically feel Anankos' miasma wrapping itself around his mind. “Mikoto-sama died because... Garon is a cruel... honorless man who will... do _anything_ to get what he wants. Hinata died because... people die in wars. _This_ ,” She pointed at her throat with more anger than she'd intended. “Is because I was stupid. And Nerr...” In truth, she had no idea what happened to the other woman, but... “That wasn't your fault either.”

 

“Yes. It _was_.” His eyes bored into her as he whispered. “I slipped and she grabbed me. Those stones... they _crushed_ her, like a peach. Because I didn't climb up when I had a chance. Because _this_ ,” He grabbed the fallen Fuujin yumi and shook it violently. “Was more important to me than my life. Than her life...!” Well... that was a story. Azura only had only glanced at the Nohrian princess' injured arm, a pulpy mass of bone and meat and twisted metal that was beyond healing. She turned her attention back to her brother, who had drawn his bow to his chest rather awkwardly, hugging it the way a child would hug a doll as he rocked.

 

“...even if that's true--”

“It _is_.” He groused, and it was all she could do not to roll her eyes. This was sounding less like Anankos' influence, and more like Takumi just being Takumi. And that was a good thing.

“... _If_ that's true... I don't think... Nerr holds it against you.” The younger boy laughed, a harsh sound that made her jump.

”You're crazy if you think that. She's _never_ going to forget what I said to her after the attack in Shirasagi, and this is just going to make her think I meant it! She'll never forgive me for this...” The hand holding his bow had begun to shake again.

 

“Takumi...” She covered his hand with hers. “Don't dwell on this. The more guilt... and anger... and sadness you feel... the more Anankos will affect you. He'll corrupt you... he'll make you weak if you let him.”

“I _am_ weak.” He mumbled bitterly.

“Then get strong.” She snapped, more forcefully than she'd wanted, whining in pain as her throat burned.

“What?” She frowned at him, more upset that she was reduced to whispers again than at his self pity.

 

“If you feel that... bow was worth dying for... then train with it instead of... crying about it...” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“...you sound like Mother. You're right, though. I should be doing something useful, even just training, but... I can't. I'm so tired and angry, I just want to break everything... I haven't felt like this since the war started.” Azura remembered that. He'd been _much_ more bitter and volatile than usual after Nerr came to Hoshido, and it all culminated in his attacking them in Izumo. All of that must have been Anankos' doing, from the moment his presence breached Mikoto's barrier. She should have noticed, she should have felt something, but she didn't. She didn't do anything... She brushed Takumi's bangs from his face.

 

“Rest, then. You need to rest.” Anankos had become a plague unto Valla, that was what her mother told her. A sickness that corrupted the hearts and minds of men. And what she knew of sickness was that one had to rest until they were well again, or else, bleed the poison from their veins, and it seemed unlikely such a tactic would work against a god. Maybe her stroking his hair calmed him, or else, he was too drained and miserable to summon the energy to do argue. In Hoshido, he would push himself to his limit, refusing to accept anything less than the absolute best, but Valla had a way of stripping a person of their ego. When he spoke again, his voice as quiet, uncharacteristically calm.

 

“Nee-san... How long do you think Anankos has been pulling our strings?” It threw her for a loop, such an odd thing coming from him.

“Why?” He curled a bit into himself.

“...there's a part of me that thinks-- that _hopes_ it's his fault I'm like this. I'm not a bad person. I'm _not_. In Izumo, I-- that wasn't me. It _couldn't_ be me. So maybe... all this time before, when I hated you... maybe that wasn't me, either. Right?” The way he looked at her, so hopeful, so desperate, made it difficult to keep her expression in check. Before returning to Izumo, he'd been at the Chasm, and it was then that the darkness of Valla must have infected him. Anankos had little to no power outside the halidoms' borders, but...

 

“I suppose so.” It was kinder to lie. In her mind's eye, she could see Nerr sneering at her, _Maybe Anankos had something to do with it, but you can't tell me that wasn't 'himself'..._ She shook her head to clear it.

“Nee-san? What's wrong?”

“Nothing. I'm just... thinking.”

“About what?” She forced herself to smile, almost giving up right away. How could it take so much effort just to lift the corners of her lips?

 

“Nothing important. Do you know where... Hinoka is?” Takumi pointed back in the direction she had come from.

“She was at the river, trying to catch fish with a spear. Why?” Panic flashed in his eyes. “You're not going to tell her about anything I said, are you? You can't!”

“No. I just need to... talk to her. Just because we're safe... doesn't mean we can forget about what lies ahead.” Takumi was not the only one who knew they were weak. Her only weapon was gone, so it was time to pick up a new one. She'd have considered asking the young prince to teach her to bend a bow, but she knew she would be incapable of such a thing, especially in such a short amount of time. She was no warrior, but she would have to take up arms the only way she could now.

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_Nerr found her dreams dark and strange, unlike the nightmares that had haunted her so long, and yet no better. She still ran, but the ground beneath her feet was no longer coal-black soil and discolored flesh. The stone was cold and smooth beneath her heels, a long, never ending hall that reminded her of the dungeons beneath the citadel. If she dared slow to look over her shoulder, a wall of flames would wash over her, blackening her skin and turning her bones to ash. If she didn't look back, it would catch her all the same, the heat too much to bear. She tried hiding from it, ducking into any room she came across, but the flames always found her._

 

_Sometimes, she caught a glimpse of what lay inside before it was all burned away. A man on a throne, his once fine armor rusted, the flesh melting from his decaying corpse, lips rotted away to reveal his teeth locked in a macabre grin. Figures engulfed in shadows so dark all she could see of them were their brightly shining crowns and the thick, pink ropes dangling from their bellies._

 

_Sometimes, she would run into a room only for there to be no room at all, only the stone of the Chasm rushing past her as she fell faster and faster. The fire was always brighter and hotter there, but the crackling of her fat rendering was never loud enough to drown out that booming voice, **THE BETRAYED KING! THE ENTOMBED GOD!** She couldn't decide which was more frightening, crying out for Gunther to save her as the flames poured into her lungs and turned her to dust._

 

_One day, there was no fire. The only heat came from the sun shining on her. When she looked down at her feet, she saw neither dirt nor stone, but lush grass she could not touch, and laughing children she could not reach. She floated above the earth, and as she realized that, she fell, but only a short distance. The sky above the glen was solid as glass, but rippled when her feet made contact, just as the sky above Valla did. The land below her was more beautiful than Valla could ever have been, with flowers in every color scattered about like gemstones, and tall trees heavy with fruit, and the most lovely cottage she could have imagined just there out of reach._

 

_She pounded on the sky, and it hardened in response. She could hear laughter and warm, kind voices that were so familiar they made her heart hurt. ' **Let me in! I want to go to there...! '** She pounded harder and harder, insistent on breaking that wretched barrier and yet still shocked when it shattered beneath her fists. She could not see anything but the rippling air, but saw her skin and muscle sliced open down to the bone. There was no pain as she drew back her ruined arms, staring at the bones of her fingers and torn veins. What flowed from them was not blood, but water, cool and clear and quickly rising over her ankles._

 

 _A deep melancholy filled her as the water reached her thighs, the darkness she once again found herself in filling quicker than she could bleed. Something cold ran down her spine and she looked up, only then noticing the face that loomed over her. Water flowed from the carved eyes, despite her serene smile, filling the dark chamber even faster. Those eyes looked alive as they stared down at her with the same disappointment her mother had shown in life, and the longer she stared, the_ _more opaque_ _the tears_ _grew_ _, first becoming bright red then darker, darker, darker still until there was nothing but inky blackness around her. Nerr tried to stay above it, tried to kick her feet, but then she remembered she couldn't swim, and the iciness of the void covered her mouth and nose and when everything vanished,_ she woke.

 

All the pain that she hadn't felt before hit her full force, making it impossible to breathe. She could only whimper and tremble, feeling as weak as she had after she'd taken ill with a fever years ago. Felicia had held her, using the ice in her veins to keep the sickness from burning her alive, but all she remembered was being held down in an icy tub. There was an arm wrapped around her chest- she could feel fingers gripping her shoulder, but they were much too warm to belong to Felicia. It took all her strength to open her eyes and keep them open, and even then they were still bleary with sleep. For a second, all she saw was a blur of cream and lilac and immediately, she wondered if Camilla had crawled in bed beside her the way she used to when they were younger.

 

But she was not in her bed and the face she looked at was all lines and sharp angles. Dark violet eyes stared into hers, and when she blinked, they were gone. She could hear Gunther moving beside her, but when she tried to lift her head to see what he was doing, the ground beneath her began swaying violently. Groaning, she shut her eyes again, the high-pitched whine in her ears almost as nauseating as the sour taste in her mouth. An arm under her back lifted her, and the blood rushed from her head, making her dizzy. The knight held a cup to her lips, the water soothing her cracked lips. She made to take it- even with her shaking hands, she would spill less. Only after the taste of bile had been washed away did she notice that only one hand held the battered tin, despite her holding it in two.

 

She flexed her fingers, but saw nothing but empty air where they should have been. She remembered the sound of metal crumpling and bones crunching and quickly lowered her arm, expecting to feel her palm brush against the blanket she sat on and getting nothing. She could not stop the whine that tore itself from her throat, and may well have started crying had Gunther not drawn her into a tight hug, stroking her hair as he whispered softly.

 

“I'm so sorry, my little ladyship. It's horrible, I know, but your injury was too grievous to heal. Given a choice between you losing an arm or your life, I would choose the former any day. Though I'm the only one, it seems...” His voice turned bitter at the end, but Nerr barely heard him over the rush of her pulse and memories flooding back to her. The last she'd seen of Takumi was Hinoka pulling him onto her saddle, but that meant nothing. They were still being pursued, and the others weren't in any shape to defend themselves. It took while before she noticed that she was no longer in the open space she last remembered, but that meant very little considering that as far as she could see, they were alone.

 

“Wh... where is everyone?! Takumi and... Azura...?”

“Shhhh... Don't fret, Nerr. They're both fine, though the camp is far more dreary without Lady Azura's dulcet tones.”

“Camp? Wha...?” She choked on her words, her throat burning. Gunther handed her the cup, steadying it for her.

 

“Lilith has brought us back to her little realm, so if nothing else, we're safe and sound for now.” Safe... How long had it been since she'd so much as heard that word, let alone been allowed to feel it's effects? At once, so much of the tension in her shoulders left her, and she sagged against the older man. They were alive. They were safe. There could be no sweeter victory. Fear somewhat in check, she tried to ignore the throbbing in her arm where she knew there was no longer flesh to hurt, distracting herself with the rough stone around them.

 

She recognized the mossy ground, realizing it was the same cave Lilith had dragged her to when she fell into the Chasm the first time, however many years ago that had been now. She'd been so overcome with grief then that she had barely taken notice of her surroundings. She had lost something then, just as she'd lost something now. Both were as much a part of her, she thought wryly, but one she could live without. A shaft of sunlight came in through a gap in the stones. It had been daylight in Valla, the last she remembered. Was the Astral Realm on a similar time cycle? Had she only been out of it for a few hours, or weeks?

 

“How long have we been here?” Gunther groaned, looking far older as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I haven't the foggiest, Nerr. Valla has ruined my sense of time, and this wretched place is just as bad, if not worse. Sometimes, it seems like night only lasts a few short hours, and sometimes, it stretches on forever. As far as I can tell, it's been been three days or so. You've had a fever for all of them.” He looked as tired as she felt, dark bags under his eyes, which themselves were bloodshot. Perhaps that explained her strange dreams this time.

“I'm fine now, though. Right?” She tried to smile, but it was too difficult to keep up. Gunther pressed the backs of his fingers to her cheek, his skin pleasantly cool against hers.

 

“You're still a bit warm, but I would expect that.” He lowered his voice to a dark whisper. “There was a while when I thought your wound may have started to fester. I didn't dare tell your sisters; Lady Elise could hardly stand to look at you without sobbing.” As he spoke, Nerr recalled the sight of dead flesh writhing with maggots, the smell as fresh in her mind as if it were right under her nose.

 

She covered her mouth with her remaining hand before the bile rushing up her throat could escape her lips. Her eyes burned as much from the churning in her stomach as the gnawing ache in her soul. She was being ungrateful; how easily could she have died? She was whole and well, save for a few fingers, but as she tried to flex those missing fingers and felt nothing but the sensation that there should have been _something_ , she could not stop the tears from dripping onto her hand. They burned her lips. Rough linen brushed her cheeks as Gunther dried them with his collar.

 

“What's wrong, dearest? Do you hurt?” ' _Only on the inside...'_ , she thought, where it didn't matter. Sniffling, she shook her head, swallowing hard and lowering her shaking hand.

“I'm fine. This is nothing.” The blasé tone of her words rang so false that she almost cringed upon hearing it. Gunther was no more impressed with her forced nonchalance than she was.

“It's not _nothing,_ Nerr. It hasn't been 'nothing' for far too long. How many brushes with death have you had since we left the Citadel? Four? Five?” It was many more than that. She kept her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. “I'm afraid if I turn my back on you for five seconds, I'll find you face down in a puddle!” She pulled back, scowling up at him.

 

“Alright, that's just insulting.” His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Is it _really_ , Nerr? You've nearly fallen off these gods' forsaken islands more than once! You were almost disemboweled helping one of these Hoshidans, and lost an arm for another! Every day, it's something new and terrible...” He sighed sharply, reaching up to rub his temples. “You're going to be the death of me as surely as you're going to be the death of yourself, my darling...” Guilt and shame quickly replaced her anger.

“But I'm still alive.” She reminded him in a small voice. He looked so miserable meeting her eyes.

 

“For how long, though? How long until Anankos grows tired of trying to chase us away and simply comes out to crush us like roaches?”

“Are you suggesting that open battle against a single target is somehow _worse_ than trying to prepare for a siege?” She jested, but any attempt at humor fell flat. She sighed as well. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Run. Hide. Anything but charge into a dragon's gaping maw.” Her insides tightened. He'd told her the same thing even before they arrived in Valla.

 

“Run where? Back to the Citadel, to wait for him to do to Nohr what he's done to Valla? To Hoshido, to spend what few months we'll have left cowering fear?” She shook her head. Were she still blissfully ignorant of what lay in store for them, she might agree with him, but the burden of knowing what awaited them... it was a wonder Azura hadn't gone mad from the anticipation of destruction. For all his apparent worry, Gunther didn't seem nearly as concerned as she did.

 

“To hell with Nohr and Hoshido! We can go somewhere else. We could even stay _here._ There's an entire world beyond the northern mountains, Nerr.” That was true... How many years had she dreamed of seeing that world? But that was always just a temporary thing, even in her mind.

“But... Nohr is our home.” His lips curled at her words.

“My home is ash and dust. Nohr is nothing to me. _Your_ home was that kennel Garon threw you in that he used for all the garbage he couldn't dispose of. Are you truly such a sentimental fool for crumbling stone and barren ground that you would _die_ for it?”

 

But... but it was her home. That crumbling stone and barren ground had been the entirety of her world for over a decade, and she'd loved it, and the moment she stepped outside the bailey, she'd loved everything around it as well. It was the sole location of all her happy memories. ' _I need it...'_ ...wasn't that what Takumi had said about his stupid bow? _I need it!_ Oh. Oh, no... He was wrong then, and she was wrong now. Of course she was. The old knight pulled Nerr back to him, laying her head against his chest.

 

“The only of value in that wretched place were the memories. And we can make new memories anywhere.” But what about the memories with Flora and Felicia, she wanted to ask. What about the memories with Jakob? The words twisted on her tongue.

“I don't want to talk about this anymore. My head hurts.”

“Of course it does. You've been ill for days. And here I am, piling more worries onto your shoulders...” He sighed, looking away from her, shamefaced. A wretchedness gnawed at her, and Nerr reached out, lacing her fingers with his.

“You've spent years carrying my burdens, Gunther. Is it not time I help with yours?” He smiled at her sadly.

 

“I would wish my burdens on no one, my lady. Lest of all you.”

“But I--”

“However, if you truly wish to ease my mind, promise you'll at least think on what I've said. I worry for you, Nerr,” He squeezed her hand tightly, the callouses on his fingers rough against her knuckles. “I have no one else _but_ you. My son, my wife, Jakob...” She barely heard the tiny crack in his voice, already seeing red in her mind at the word “wife” and hating herself for it all the more when she saw how wet his eye were. She wanted to stroke his cheek, had even raised her hand, but immediately lowered the stump when she realized what she was doing. Instead, she brought his fingers to her lips.

 

“I know. I'm sorry. I-- I'll... think about it...” It was as half-assed an assurance as one could give, but it was enough to bring a hint of a smile to Gunther's lips.

“Well, before you go running off to ignore my council, I need to change your dressings again.” Nerr's stomach bottomed out. She'd only just woken up; would there be no end to the reminders of this horror?

“Can't that be done later?”

“It's best to do it sooner.” He tucked her bangs behind her ear, taking a moment to trace the scalloped edge. It made her tummy flutter, as it always did, but on an empty stomach, it was more nauseating than pleasant. “I know it's upsetting, Nerr. All losses are. But ignoring it won't fix anything.” Despite his hard words, his eyes were sympathetic. “You don't have to look. Just close your eyes and it'll be over before you can recite the words of the Jugdrali noble houses.” Nerr gaped at him, incredulity battling for dominance against abject horror.

 

“We're in the middle of a war, and you want me to think about _history lessons?!”_

“I thought it a gentler alternative to thinking about your personal misfortune.”

“You thought wrong!” He chuckled lightly, already gathering vulneraries and clean bandages.

“Perhaps my little ladyship would rather hear a story? That used to calm you down when you were stricken with night terrors.”

 

That was true, but... for the most part, it had been Jakob reading to her at night. After Gunther had begun locking his door, plainly ignoring her cries to be let into his chambers, she seeked out the butler, cruelly denying him what little sleep he could get. The thought of Jakob sitting beside her, dozing off with her copy of _The Prideful Princess_ open in his lap made her throat hurt.

 

“N-no... I don't want any stories now, either...”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm not a child, Gunther!” She snapped, immediately regretting her words. “I'm sorry. I just--”

“It's quite alright, Nerr. You're right.” His jaw tightened, but his tone remained soft. “Seeing you in such a state brings back all the unpleasantness of your first few years in Nohr, but... that's all in my head. That terrified, weepy, slip of a girl is gone. You're a brave, strong woman who doesn't need coddling.” His smile was warm and his voice was proud, so why then did she just want to crawl under a rock and die at those words? Brave and strong and reckless _and stupid and going to get everyone killed..._

 

With her thoughts chasing themselves around her mind, Nerr could only sit there helplessly as Gunther pulled her blouse over her head. Maybe she could have wrestled herself free from it with one hand if she'd taken the time to shimmy it up, inch by inch, but even the thought of doing that made her want to vomit. The air was mild here, just as in Valla, a bit cooler in the cave, but her skin prickled with goose flesh as that thin layer of protection was removed. Her neck hurt when she looked down, a sharp throbbing pain radiating up to her temples, but she could not stop herself from staring at the mottled green and yellow and brown that stretched across her chest like the fingers of a giant hand. Gunther paused in folding her tunic as he noticed what she was looking at.

 

“You must have landed on something sharp. There was a dent in your breastplate.” If the edge of the bridge could be counted as sharp, then yes. She'd thrown herself onto that stone protrusion, had felt the shock wave through her breastbone but forgot it in an instant as she desperately reached for Takumi's hand. Three days of healing, and it was still such an ugly color. In the Citadel, she couldn't even remember _seeing_ a bruise after her training.

 

No amount of beating and bleeding and breaking could slow her down- she had been indestructible, just like the gods of old. And now... now she soft and weak and _mortal_. Alive, _but for how long...?_ She couldn't even bring herself to look at what remained of her arm while her knight undid the bandages. The quick glance from her periphery revealed a sliver of darkly discolored skin, and she had to avert her gaze before she started screaming. _'You're being stupid,'_ She chided herself. ' _You're being a coward...'_ _'...I know...'_ Fear and dread brought sour bile back into her mouth when she felt the damp air against what _should have been_ her elbow, but it also brought with it a morbid curiosity that found her fighting with herself as her eyes tried both to look down as well as look away.

 

She only caught a brief glance, but that was all it took to fixate on the stump. Gods above, that's really what it was. When it was thickly bandaged, Nerr could almost convince herself that she was just imagining things, that there _was_ an arm and she just wasn't seeing things properly. But like this... Oh gods, it was horrible, so much worse than she ever could have imagined. She did have an elbow, and just about an inch of flesh beneath it, just enough for there to be a visible joint that could bend. Gods, why; that was so much worse than to just have a clean stump. But even if there were less unappealing flesh, it more than likely still would have been a repugnant sight, withered and atrophied, skin stretched over bone with little in the way of muscle beneath, and the _color_... Suddenly, all of Gunther's warnings of festering wounds came rushing back to the forefront of her mind. The flesh was _black_ , darker than could ever have been a simple bruise, spreading up past her elbow and to the rest of her arm. Her breath grew short, the panicked gasps only forcing her heart to beat faster against her ribs.

 

“Nerr? What is it, what's wrong?”

“What's wrong?! What's-- it's rotting! Cut it off!” She grabbed her Gunther's shirt with both hands, only to remember after the fact that she only had the one. “Cut it off before it spreads!” Ever patient, the old knight gripped her wrist, not even bothering to move her hand.

“Calm yourself, my darling. It's fine. _You're_ fine.”

“But--!”

 

“It's not 'rotting'. At least, not anymore.” He bowed his head to the blackened stump and inhaled sharply. “It doesn't smell. See for yourself.” Nerr shook her head, fighting the urge to retch. She didn't want to _look_ at it, much less smell the damned thing, but in the far back of her mind where panic had not yet set in, she realized he was right. She had smelled gangrenous flesh before; all rancid meat and old blood. The air of the cave was stale, but smelled only of sand and mildew and medicine. No putrefaction. But then...

 

“Wh-why has it gone black, then?”

“It's not black, my lady. It's blue.” She frowned, failing to see what difference the color made when it was anything but the pale cream it was _supposed_ to be.

“In what way do your semantics matter?”

“It's your skin, Nerr.” She met him with a blank look of confusion. “Your _dragon_ skin. It's the same color and texture of your belly when you turn.” She wanted to look and see if he was right, but couldn't keep her eyes fixated on that useless inch of her arm long enough to tell blue from black. He was probably right. He was right about most things. So instead, the young woman focused her gaze on her betrothed as he washed out the puckered seams of flesh with a vulneray. There was the faintest hint of a smile on his lips while he set to wrap it in fresh bandages. “I would call this a good sign. Scars come in tougher than the flesh they replace, and a dragon's hide is tougher yet. It must be healing well, finally.”

 

Nerr's eyes drifted down as he came to the end of the linen strips. He would know about scars. His gnarled fingers were riddled with them, the skin burned and scraped away on top and thickly calloused beneath. But the state of them belied their gentleness, how light and tender his touch was when he tied the final knot in her bandages and stroked her arm.

 

“I'm so happy you're alright, Nerr.” He whispered, the cavern not large enough to produce an echo but enough so to amplify his voice so that seemed to come from all around her. “I have been terrified these last few days, and utterly lost without you.”

“Surely not.” Her brave, strong knight, lost and afraid? How could that be so when he was so strong, so sure of everything? So unlike her... Gunther moved closer, pulling her between his legs to lean against his chest. There was only a thin layer of cloth separating them. How long had it been since she had touched anyone without the barrier of her armor? Weeks, possibly even months. Time blended and melted together until she could hardly be sure what year it was. How long ago since they were all back at the Citadel, laughing together, blissfully unaware of their impending doom?

 

“Surely yes. For four days, I could do nothing but watch as your sisters tried and failed to heal you of the fever that threatened to burn you away. What would I do if it had?” He tilted her chin up to better look at her. Four days? Hadn't he said three? She must have misheard him. For so long, she'd dreamed of seeing him look at her like that. In her old fantasies, she was a perfect lady, a perfect princess, a perfect wife, and Gunther always looked happy and never worried and miserable like now. “How could I hope to live if you died and left me all alone, just as everyone before you had...?”

“I won't! I won't, I promise!” She told him vehemently, snuggling closer. She could fear his heart beating, the sound dulled by the layers of flesh that stood between them, but loud enough for her.

 

The soporific tempo coupled with his gentle stroking of her arm began lulling her back into a dreaming state, drifting deeper and deeper, not quite asleep but far from waking, to the point that she assumed the creeping up her neck was part of her dream. She tried to ignore it, hoping it would go away on it's own, but something sharp pricked the tender flesh there and her eyes flew open, leaving her scrambling to get away from this unseen attacker. Gunther held her steady, brows drawn in concern and confusion.

 

“Nerr? What is it, dearest?” She stammered, fumbling over her words as she brought her hand to the side of her neck, then paused, reaching over with her right hand. The flesh there was damp, but as her fingers came away, there was no blood.

“I don't-- I thought-- ...I must have been dreaming...” The older man grinned at her.

“And here I was, not even aware that you'd fallen asleep.” He leaned forward, pressed his lips to her neck. As his teeth scraped her skin, she pushed him away, her arms acting of their own accord. The confusion returned to his features. “What are you doing, Nerr?” What was _she_ doing? Her lips moved wordlessly as she tried to collect her thoughts into something approaching cohesion.

 

“I--”

“What's wrong? Do you still feel ill?” He pressed his fingers to the underside of her jaw, feeling her pulse. Could he feel it pounding the same way she felt it in her chest? No, she wasn't ill. She felt... fine. As fine as she could, given the circumstances, but there was a strange discomfort gnawing at her insides.

“I'm fine.” He relaxed and made to wind his fingers in her hair, but this time she intercepted his hand. Any bemusement was gone as he frowned at her.

“What's wrong then?”

 

“I don't think we should do this.”

“Why not?” ' _I don't want to...'_ That was a non-answer if she had ever thought of one; if she tried it now, it would end up becoming an excuse for everything.

“I'm still a bit tired...” He smiled again, and she immediately relaxed.

“I'm not expecting you to go run laps, Nerr. You don't have to do anything; you can just lie there and relax.” Her stomach bottomed out, the discomforting sensation locking her limbs as the knight moved closer once again, lightly tracing the scalloped edge of her ear once more. “I'll pleasure you, and you can go right back to sleep.” He whispered in such a tantalizing way that her toes would have curled mere weeks ago.

 

“I don't think that would help.”

“Of course it would. Are you trying to tell me that you never touched yourself in bed and slept better for it?” Of course she did, but the thought of _anything_ touching her now made her stomach hurt. Gunther's hand moved to her hair, gently running his fingers through the tangles accumulated there. “When I was a soldier, there wasn't a single night when you couldn't hear someone fucking. It lulled us to sleep, it helped us forget about our wounds for a while, it soothed our minds and heart. That was our panacea. Let me soothe you, my dear heart.” He peppered her hairline with kisses. Under any normal circumstances, she would have melted at his feet, would have gladly opened her body to him and taken what comfort she could to find reprieve from the seemingly endless horrors and sorrows. But here and now, she wished she had a hard shell in which to retreat. His reminiscence brought up an even better excuse, though.

 

“But what if the others hear?”

“They won't if you're quiet.” He teased.

“But what if they _do?”_ She winced as the stroking stopped and he clenched his fist, pulling her hair between his fingers without even realizing what he was doing.

“That sounds like it's not my problem, Nerr. If anyone come here looking to check on you and hears your moaning, they should know better than to disturb you. And if they ignore what little common sense is left to them and come in, then you have far more problems what your siblings may gossip about.” He leaned closer to her, his eyes almost black in the dim shadows of the cave. “You made such a show of not being ashamed to be with me... so why are you ashamed now?”

 

“I'm not! I just don't want--”

“ _What about what_ _ **I**_ _want?_ ” Her words caught her throat. He bore down on her, and she could only lean so far back until the muscles in her back gave out and she fell back onto the thick blanket, hitting her shoulders hard. He used to loom over her when he woke her up, years and years ago. She would try to blink away the sleep gumming up her eyes and find the knight leaning down with his nose nearly touching hers. When she was still very young, she would cry out, startled, until his deep chuckle calmed her pounding little heart.

 

As she grew older, it stopped being startling and instead became a welcome greeting, like a tiny bit of the sun's warmth managing to creep over the northern mountains. He'd learned to keep his distance when she accidentally bashed his already crooked nose in with the top of her head in her haste to rise, but now it was as if she'd regressed back to that nervous, easily startled little girl, cowering away from the figure looming over her. Only now, there was no warmth in his eyes, no reassuring smile- only disappointment.

 

“For fifteen years, I have done _everything_ for you, Nerr. Even now, I do everything for you. I protect you from these idiots you call 'family', who would see you dead rather than accept you as anything less than _perfect_. I have given, and given, and given and asked _nothing_ in return but your happiness. Is it truly too much now to want to lay with my betrothed?”

 

The guilt felt like a stone on her chest, immobilizing her, making every breath a challenge. He was right. For years, she took for granted that he would always be there and serve her without question or hesitation, just as Jakob had. And maybe then, she was justified in such thoughts. But now, by her own insistence, he was no longer a servant. He was her betrothed and, gods willing, husband soon enough. He owed her nothing now and could easily sever ties with her once he grew tired with the inequality of their relationship. When was the last time they had laid together? That last night in Cyrkensia?

 

That felt like a lifetime ago. She had been eager then, equating his need with her own, but so much had happened since then, so much death, so much grief... How could she think of lust when Jakob and Ant and the legions of dead never let her have a moment's respite? ...how could she be so single minded as to expect him to stop feeling just because _she_ did? _'You're being stupid...'_ It was selfish, denying him intimacy the one time he requested it. She would be a horrible wife...

 

“You're right.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and even when she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, she could speak no louder. “I'm sorry.” At once, his face softened, the harsh lines less severe, the violet visible in his eyes once again as he leaned down, resting his weight on one arm as he cupped her cheek.

“You've nothing to apologize for, my darling. I admit, I may have been a bit too forceful just now. I've been so upset, so worried all this time... it all came to a head, and I'm afraid I took it out on you. That was so very wrong of me. Did I frighten you?” ' _Yes...'_

 

“No.”

“Can you forgive me, sweetling?” ' _No.'_

“Of course.” He beamed down at her. Maybe that smile would have soothed her ragged nerves, or warmed her jittering heart if only she could have seen it for a bit longer, but no sooner did she recognize it than it was gone. He sat up, moving away from her and standing before she had time to process his absence.

 

“Wh-where are you going?”

“I'm going to bring you something to eat so you can go back to sleep.” There was nothing strange about his actions, nothing unusual in his attitude, so why did it make her feel so bad?

“But I thought--”

“You _are_ tired, aren't you? You just said you're still tired.”

 

“Yes...”

“So what's the problem?” He smiled at her. “Unless you'd rather I force you awake?”

“No.” Nerr swallowed hard, her voice small and weaker than she expected. “Gunther, are you mad at me?”

“No. I'm not mad.” He ducked out of the cave, leaving her to shiver by her lonesome. He was mad. She had seen the anger flicker in his eyes, for only the briefest second, and maybe it could have just been a trick of the light, but... no. No, he was upset, and if her kindly knight with the patience of a saint was upset, everyone else was probably furious.

 

She'd run off ahead again, and again, she would have died if Takumi hadn't been there. Whimpering, she curled up tightly, trying to figure out where to put her arm. She normally tucked her hand under her head, but there was no more hand. It could have been worse. She could have lost her sword hand. Then she would have been _truly_ useless. She flexed her remaining fingers, wondering where the Yato was, trying and failing to block out Gunther's words. _For how long...?_

000

 

It was impossible to know how long she'd been asleep when she didn't even remember falling asleep. She'd closed her eyes and the next thing she knew, she was struggling to rouse herself. There was still light coming in through the gaps in the cave, but they were a darker gold than before. Nerr could feel Gunther's back pressed against her still bare shoulder blades, his breathing deep and even. So it was either very late, or very early. There was a distant buzz of chatter that must have been the others, but that gave her few answers either. She pushed herself up, forgetting that she could not distribute her weight as evenly as she was used to. Slipping a bit, she tried to hold herself up, leaning her weight on the still healing stump. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, tears blinding her as the taste of blood exploded on her tongue.

 

Finally sitting, Nerr cradled what was left of her arm, rocking as she tried to keep from weeping aloud. If only Anankos could see her now. He would laugh and laugh, how pathetic was this “hero” chosen by the gods! Lop off an arm and she came undone. Kill a boy in front of her and watch her do his job for him. Pitiful. It was tiring, wallowing in her self-pity. Sniffling, Nerr wiped her wet face as best she could with her whole arm, pausing as she noticed the bruises there as well. She didn't remember that happening, but all the hurts had run together like wet paint. She must have hit it against something. Creeping around in silence was one of the skills she had honed long ago in the Northern Citadel, though only having one hand proved far more complicated than it should have been.

 

She managed to snatch up her tunic, but pulling the damn thing on was a trial she was not up to. Were she back home, she have thrown the damnable thing down and stomped on it for good measure, but the time for childish outbursts had long since passed. Nerr leaned against the rough stone, the grit and dust sticking to her skin as every protrusion dug into her. The Rainbow Sage had set into motion that she should put Anankos out of the world's misery who knew how long ago, and here she was, thwarted by clothes. _'What am I even good for...?'_ She snapped at herself bitterly, the answer forming before her thoughts even finished echoing. _Run. Hide._ Nerr gripped her tunic tighter, nails cutting into her palm through the thin barrier. Garon had hidden her away in the dungeons under the Citadel, dark stone cells with only a sliver of light, just like this cave... She needed to get out of here just as badly as she had needed to get out of them.

 

Driven by frustration, she somehow managed to get her head through the tunic and her stump through one of the sleeves. Her other arm was stuck halfway through, but her unmentionable parts were covered (well, “covered”- she could definitely feel the chilled air on her ass) and that was good enough. Slipping out of the cave, she was halted at once by the sun blinding her, it's light driving into her eyes like a spindle. Covering her eyes and waiting for the pain behind them to ease, she was tempted to dive back into the relief of the shadows.

 

It was just like Hoshido, she realized bitterly, unforgiving in it's harsh brightness, forcing her to acclimatise or perish, and leaving her desperate for the gentle embrace of Nohr's darkness. She hated it now just as much as she hated it then. _'Then run and hide...'_ A voice that was not her own hissed, filling her with indignation. She lowered her arms, eyes still watering as they squinted.

 

”Don't tell me what to do, Anankos...!” Blinking rapidly, the world before her slowly came into focus. She knew this was Lilith's Astral Realm, but it looked nothing like what she remembered. The last time she had been here, it had been a wide open, empty plain, like the plain in Hoshido. Now, it was crowded. Tents filled the area, but beyond them, there were more trees, more flowers, more rivers, more _everything_. When she'd first brought her here, Lilith had told her something, the voice in her head so mournful. _Once, it was full of life, but now..._ She had been so lonely, no family or friends... It would be hard to be lonely now, with so many people bustling about, cooking and training and napping. For a moment, one short, wonderful moment, Nerr forgot what they were warring against. Everything was so _normal_ , how could they be running away from the legions of the dead?

 

The voices that reached her weren't afraid or angry, no one was yelling at anyone else... For the first time in gods knew how long, the tears that pricked her eyes weren't brought on by grief or frustration, but a joyous relief. That wonderful feeling was immediately soured by a sharp ache in her stump. She glared down at her arm, hidden in it's sleeve, and sighed. Biting her lip, the princess forced herself to walk, knowing if she didn't take those first steps, she'd stand there forever. For as many new things now occupied the once empty space, it was still more sparse than not.

 

She kept a fair distance from what she assumed was the edge of the camp, wishing there were more tents she could use as cover. As much as she wanted to approach the others, she could already hear them berating her. Xander would tell her that she was a sorry leader and Ryouma would put on that insufferable disappointed frown as he reminded her what happened the last time she got ahead of them, and Camilla... gods. Would she be assaulted with hysterical sobbing, or hysterical screaming? Neither was a scenario she felt up to confronting.

 

Fortunately, she managed to avoid her elder siblings. The first people she came across were Leo and Takumi, of all things, and the sight of two of the most arrogant people she knew in the same place had never been so welcome. It was a strange thing to see the boys talking, pouring over a book that Leo must have no doubt brought from his extensive collection. Stranger still to see how subdued the Hoshidan prince looked. He kept his bow on his person, and Nerr frowned at the sight of it. No, now was not the time for that. Inhaling deeply, she quickened her steps.

 

“How now, brothers? What are you two sneaky snakes plotting out here?” They both jumped at the sudden voice, though Takumi had been far more startled, nearly falling off the rock on which they sat. Leo collected himself quickly, shutting the book and rising to meet her. He had looked quite haggard the last she saw him, half dragging him to the ruined fortress in Valla, and while he still looked tired, the color had at last returned to his cheeks. Several expressions flitted across his face, before settling on his usual smirk.

 

“Only those of low cunning 'plot'. Who do you take me for, Iago?”

“You're looking far too alive to bear much of a resemblance anymore.” Her wry grin softened into a sincere smile. “I'm glad to see you up and about, baby brother. You had me worried for a while.”

“I could say the same for you.” The haughtiness in his eyes was all but gone as he pulled her into a short, but tight, hug. “I know you always feel the need to outdo me, sister, but perhaps next time, _don't_ nearly die in the process. Do you think you can do that?”

 

“I make no promises.” She could practically hear him rolling his eyes as he pulled away. They had never been as close with one another as they were with their other siblings, but in a way, Nerr was grateful for that. While she could expect no powerful displays of affection from the younger boy, neither did she expect any scathing condemnations. There was something comforting in his near apathy, especially in such turbulent times. It had been far too long since she'd been on her feet, and the princess could feel the strain beginning in her legs. Leo noticed it too, and lead her to his vacated seat.

 

Takumi nearly tripped over himself to stand, putting a good foot of distance between them. He was acting strange, much the same way he'd behaved in those early days, only... odder somehow. He wasn't scowling at her as though deciding how best to set her on fire. He wasn't even looking at her, pointedly staring in any direction _but_ hers. She'd never admit it, not aloud, but this cold shoulder hurt, especially after the animosity between them had all but died. She'd have confronted him had Leo not interrupted her thoughts as only he could.

 

“Does your keeper know you've slipped off your leash?” One annoyance was replaced with another, Leo's smarmy grin curling her own lips.

“Excuse you, little boy, but _I_ am a woman grown. Speak to me of bondage in a year or two when you learn what it can truly be.” A distinctive flush colored his cheeks, but his expression belied no embarrassment as he lackadaisically opened his book.

“If it means being squirreled away like a miser's gold, I'll pass.” Brown eyes met hers for a brief second, something far less nonchalant than his manner would suggest in them. “Your beau forgets himself in this place as eagerly as that overgrown leech Lilith. He's had the audacity to refuse to let us see you nearly all week.” Nerr frowned, her brain far too muddled to make sense of so much information in so short a sentence. She addressed the first thing that came to mind.

 

“ _You_ were clamoring to see me?” Leo waved his hand dismissively.

“By 'us', I mean Camilla and Xander, obviously.” At once, some of the tension left her shoulders.

“What did she do?”

“Our dear sister--”

“--said something horrid, I'm certain.” He faltered under her stony gaze.

 

“ _Perhaps_ it's understandable with Camilla. When that...” He gestured vaguely to her arm, never looking directly at it. “Unpleasantness occurred, Camilla and Gunther may have gotten into a bit of a tiff that _may have_ resulted in her striking him.”

“She did _what?!”_ Nerr was half to her feet when a wave of dizziness struck, forcing her to sit once more.

“It was a tap. Barely that. And any bad blood he has with her should not extend to Xander. He even refused to let the Hoshidans see you. They're your flesh and blood. You'd do well to remind him this isn't the Citadel, and your family has a right to check on your well being.”

 

Worrying as Leo's words may have been to another, Nerr easily brushed off his concerns in her mind. Gunther didn't want a stream of visitors pestering her while she was unwell; what was wrong with that? He always kept Camilla and Elise at bay when she felt ill. Hells, _she_ _'d_ charged him with turning away her younger sister more than once during her monthly bleed- as uplifting as Elise's boundless energy was, it served only to frustrate when she was tired and in pain. And why would the Hoshidans think themselves exempt from such rules?She'd been wracked with fever and nightmares, in no position to play host to anyone. As much as she wanted to tell Leo he was whining about a non-issue, whatever she said would undoubtedly find it's way to Xander. So she bit her tongue, trying again to thread her whole arm through it's sleeve.

 

“I'll speak with him when he wakes.” She already felt sorry for her poor old knight, being harangued so mercilessly he'd lost all track of time. “Have you all even been doing anything all this time, or have you just been trying to pester me?” Leo rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't get stuck in the back of his skull.

“Of course not. Surely you know we're incapable of doing _anything_ when you're not around, sister. We've all just been standing here, asking 'Why has Nerr forsaken us? Save us from this nightmarish limbo!' The sun itself is at a loss without you!” The sarcasm in his voice was thick enough to spread on toast, and it was all Nerr could do to keep a straight face. Freeing her hand- finally!- the older woman clapped his shoulder.

 

“It pleases me that you acknowledge that I'm the most important person in your world, Leo. No woman in your life will ever compare to me.” He stared at her as though even her scent offended him. It probably did, and normally, she'd have leaned closer just to antagonize him, but the sight of Takumi's inching crawl becoming full steps distracted her. “Takumi.” He flinched, but did not stop walking.

“Sister--” She ignored Leo's attempts to stop her, running to catch up to her Hoshidan brother. “Running” was a stretch- she was stumbling over her own feet, grabbing Takumi's collar and nearly pulling him down with her.

“Just where the hell do you think you're going?” He stiffened, but did not even attempt to break free, which he could have done with ease. With her head spinning and her heart pounding in her ears, Nerr wouldn't have been able to catch him again even at a brisk walk.

 

“You were talking to Prince Leo. I've got better things to do than hang onto a conversation I'm not a part of.”

“And you couldn't open your mouth to say anything? Not even a 'hello' to your dear sister?” He flinched again, but remained silent, not even turning to face her. Whereas only a few months ago, she'd have welcomed his silence, his _words_ being what infuriated her, now the tables had turned. His staunch refusal to speak picked away at her nerves. The seams of her stump ached sharply. “You _truly_ have nothing to say to me? You're not going to waste your breath on me after I wasted mine on you? I might as well be speaking to a wall now, just as I did then!” A mental dam had been holding back her frustration, cracks forming and letting it trickle out little by little, and now, the pressure had become too great and she could feel that wall inside of her crumbling under a flood of anger. She forcefully turned Takumi around, not satisfied to yell at the back of his head.

“I told you to drop that gods' damned bow and climb to safety! When I tell you to do something, you fucking do it! If Hinoka hadn't shown up when she did, it would've been _you_ caught between those stones! What good what that stupid bow have done you then, huh? _Look at me!!_ ” The entire time, he had been staring at his feet. Anger boiling over, she'd screamed so loud her voice cracked. He flinched, and she expected him to turn away, or glare at her and shout back. She didn't expect to see tears dripping down his cheeks as he tried, and failed, to meet her eyes. It was so unexpected that all her anger left her in a big rush, the vacuum left behind quickly filling with guilt.

 

“I-I-- I'm sorry, nee-san... I'm so s-s-sorry...” He sniffled, wiping his eyes, the tears he dried replaced with fresh ones. He gripped her sleeve, his knuckles white, his hand shaking. “I'll listen to you f-from now on, I promise. I didn't-- I didn't want this t-to happen, I swear!” Nerr sighed, pressure building up in her temples. She tried to ignore it, lightly patting the younger boy's head and cringing internally. His hair was filthy. She could only imagine what kind of state hers was in.

“I know.” Wiping his face on his sleeve in a manner that painfully reminded her of Ant, he glanced up at her.

“Do--do you hate me now?”

“' _Now'?_ ” She chuckled, but Takumi found no humor in her joke. She sighed again, an ache building in her chest. She was getting dizzy. “If I hated you, Takumi, I'd have let you fall to your death. Hell, I'd have pushed you. I never _hated_ you. I didn't care enough to hate you. I nothing'd you. And now... I...” The princess winced. She was too tired, too hungry, and too sore for this. “You're okay, I guess. Happy now?”

 

“Not really...” The Hoshidan boy grumbled. “We're siblings. Mother never stopped reminding me of that...” The pain that flickered over his face was tangible, but it vanished, replaced with the kind of arrogant frustration only those in limbo between childhood and adulthood could properly express. “You should think more of me than just 'okay'.” For a moment, Nerr's thoughts had been on her mother. She hadn't spared Empress Mikoto much of a thought since leaving Shirasagi. There simply hadn't been time, she would tell anyone who asked, though in truth, she couldn't force herself to care much beyond an abstract sense of guilt. She had told Nerr nothing of her siblings- she had been too busy trying to convince her to stay put in her cozy little cell, or else, trying to wheedle information out of her that she didn't have. Maybe, in another world, another time, an appeal to family as anything more than a grand idea might have held a bit of sway over her. A solid presence that could stand before her, like Takumi was now. She frowned.

 

“I lost an arm for you. You don't get to expect anything of me anymore.”

“But--!”

“No. Now you have to stand here forever.” She turned, stumbling her way back to the rock she had been sitting on, the ringing in her ears partially drowning out the prince's indignant sputtering. Leo approached him, his voice loud enough to carry to her.

“That's the best you can hope for, Prince Takumi. I told you she would be like that.” Sitting heavily, Nerr paused for a moment, trying to ride out the wave of dizziness that swept over her before turning her attention back to her brothers.

 

“So the two of your are chummy enough to bad-mouth me behind my back, is that it?” Leo fixed her with a deadpan look.

“Implying I care enough about your reputation to tarnish it. Prince Takumi has been rather distraught over your injury, and has taken to asking us who know you best how you would react once you woke.” The Hoshidan boy flushed, looking away, but neither Nohrian paid his embarrassment any mind. “I tried telling him such crippling occurrences are a common affair for you, but he was disinclined to believe that you came out of two shattered legs no worse for the wear.”

“And did you also tell him that _you_ were the direct cause of that?” Leo scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“I don't remember pushing your idiotic ass off that landing.”

 

“Wait, that actually happened?!” Takumi looked between them, pale faced in his shock and horror. Nerr chuckled grimly.

“Why are you so surprised? Did I not jump out of several windows in Hoshido?”

“Yeah, but I thought that was some Nohrian blood curse making you crazy!” The blonde boy waved a flippant hand.

“She's an idiot with more luck than sense. Hopefully, she'll blindly stumble her way to killing Anankos so we can return home. I worry about what Father's doing in our absence.” His nonchalant tone grew more grim with each word, until a dark shadow cast over his face. “That fool Zola can't keep the wool over his eyes forever, and I'm loathe to imagine what he'll do when he figures out where we are.” His anxiety infected Takumi, who gripped the Fuujin tighter.

 

“You don't think he'd bring an army here after us, do you?” Leo blinked, looking at the other prince as though he'd forgotten he was there.

“My father? No. I think he'd send a messenger with our retainers' heads, ordering us to return.” Nerr shook her head, remembering what Azura had told her.

“I doubt that as well. He's working with-- _for_ Anankos. He had to get his master's orders somehow, to say nothing of that horrible sword he saddled me with before sending me off. I find it unlikely that Anankos hasn't already somehow informed him of what his children are up to. He doesn't want you back- you'd just get in his way. He's too busy raping and pillaging his way across Hoshido to bother us.” The unaffected tone of her voice bothered her more than what she was saying. For how many years had she, fattened on Xander's nostalgia, thought her father brave and noble? He would ride into battle and strike down the wicked Hoshidans and allow those that bent the knee to live under his righteous rule. If her past self could hear her present self saying such things about her father, she'd have knocked her own teeth out. Takumi looked aghast.

 

“We have to stop him!”

“We have to ignore him just as he's ignoring us. Anankos will do worse than put a few fields to the torch.” She reminded him harshly. He opened his mouth to continue arguing, but at a hard look, closed it once more.

“You're right...” He choked out. ' _Me? Right? Doth mine ears deceive me...?'_ The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back, a faint echo in Azura's voice chastising her for antagonizing him (or considering it, at least).

 

“You can worry about protecting Hoshido after we ensure there will still _be_ a Hoshido a month from now.” Leo reminded him. The younger boy exhaled sharply through his nose.

“I wonder if our ancestors felt like this.”

“Like what?”

“Bitter. Helpless. They had to worry about invading nations too, but it wasn't just a wicked despot and a genocidal dragon- it was _multiple_ despots, all lead _by_ the genocidal dragons.”

 

“All things considered, they probably envy us.” Nerr mused, closing her eyes. “Back then, it was twelve tribes and twelve dragons, all out to kill the rest. Now, it's only two nations, but they're... ehhh, I want to say 'united'? Against _one_ dragon. The Dusk Dragon is probably looking down on us thinking 'they have _three_ magic swords? That's not fair!'.”

“...the Rainbow Sage said he created the Yato to unite the armies all those centuries ago.” Her eyes snapped open at Takumi's quiet musings. “Do you think history is repeating? It's like fate or something, isn't it?” Her lips twisted in disgust.

“I think I'd rather slam my tits in a heavy wooden door than consider this _fate_. Dragons destroy things. It's happened before, and it'll probably happen again a few thousand years from now. We're just unlucky enough to have been born when it happened this time. And so too are we unlucky enough to not have a standing army behind us.”

 

“ _Yet,_ if we're were lucky.” Leo intoned, pushing her aside and taking a seat beside her. “While you've been deeply engrossed in your beauty sleep, we've been making plans. Or at least, trying to.”

“Plans for what?”

“Gathering ourselves a standing army.” Takumi sounded proud. “Ryouma nii-san has been listing all the duchies that might be able to spare soldiers, and your little pirate friend claims he knows of more than a few sellsword companies that operate outside of Nohr's reign.” The word “sellsword” left a bad taste in Nerr's mouth. The ones that served the royal family directly apparently cared more for their relatively safe and sound life than dealing with Anankos, so why should she even consider the word of cut-purses whose allegiance changed with the wind? If Leo understood what was bothering her or not, he dismissed the other boy's confident declaration none the less.

 

“Even if we can get a hundred, thousand soldiers to throw at a dragon-shaped wall, we'd still have to deal with logistics. Paying, feeding, arming- hell, even getting them from wherever they are to here. Only _Lilith_ can take anyone in or out of this realm, and...” He groaned in disgust, which left Nerr equal parts confused and angry.

“What was that for? You should be grateful Anankos can't send his legions in here to kill us in our sleep.” Both princes exchanged a look that she liked even less than Leo's groan. “What? What's that all about?”

 

“You tell her.”

“No way!”

“I _always_ have to explain everything.”

“You're the one who actually _knows_ the stupid bird.”

“Hey! Enough of this lovers' spat! I'll have you know that any issue you have with Lilith is an issue you have with me.” Leo fixed her with a hard stare.

 

“Lilith is Anankos' daughter.”

“Say what now?”

“She admitted it.”

“...and? Garon admitted that I was one of his many bastards. People lie.”

“She's crazy!” Takumi exclaimed. “She threatened us!”

“ _I_ threaten you. Did she attack you?”

 

“She attacked Selena, Lazwald and Odin.” Leo informed her.

“ _Recently?_ ”

“N-no. Before they arrived in Nohr.”

“Oh. I don't care about that.”

“What!? She admitted to trying to kill them!”

“And? It's a shame she didn't succeed. If I was going to believe _anyone_ was in league with Anankos, it's them, so don't try using them to sway my opinion on anything.” Takumi gaped at her.

“She admitted--!”

 

“So you've said. I'll speak to her myself and see if this story holds up.” Nerr pushed herself to feet, having to stop halfway as the blood rushed from her head, causing the world to tilt this way and that. If she had been standing, she undoubtedly would have fallen, but thankfully, her seat was right there. “Oh... Ohhhh, not yet, though. I'm so dizzy...” Leo flinched as she half collapsed on him.

“Sister? Should I call over Elise? Or Princess Sakura?”

“No... Just... where is Lilith? Carry me to her.” Her brother let out a sharp bark of laughter.

“Very funny, sister--”

“ _Carry me!!”_

 

Nerr liked to think that both boys decided to be good, kindly brothers and help her on her way to see Lilith. The reality was probably more that they just wanted to be rid of her before she fell unconscious and they were forced to take the blame, but she liked to _think_ otherwise. Regardless, the each took an arm to help support her, Takumi rushing to avoid her left side. It would have been funny if he weren't so obviously distressed. She instinctively tried holding onto Leo's shoulder for stability, but felt nothing beneath the ghost of her fingers. The churning in her stomach was from hunger, no doubt, but that did nothing to help. Most of the structures that had popped up during her convalescence were obviously man made, save her own dwelling and the cavern they stopped in front of. Hidden behind a dense copse, Nerr wouldn't have even noticed the entrance had it not been pointed out to her.

 

“You're on your own, nee-san. That thing's made it clear it has no qualms about killing _us._ ” She scowled at Takumi.

“That _thing_ has a name, I'll thank you to remember.” Leo groaned, disentangling himself from what remained of her arm.

“Now I see where she gets it from. If you get eaten, we'll be sure to remember that for your epitaph. 'Here lies Nerr; mauled to death by _Lilith_ '...”

“I am two seconds away from mauling _you_ to death.”

 

“Your threats would hold more weight if you were wearing pants and your tunic wasn't on backwards.” Taken aback, Nerr looked down, only then noticing that her collar was much too high.

“Why didn't you tell me, you absolute ass!?”

“And distract you from your rants and ravings?” He smirked at her, so self satisfied she wanted to kick him right in that smug mouth. “I'll bet you wish I said something earlier, rather than let you make a fool of yourself.”

“...I dressed myself with one arm. What's _your_ excuse for wearing your pants inside out?”

 

“ _WHAT!?”_ As he stared down at his exposed seams in horror, she slipped away, his voice carrying into the cave while he yelled at Takumi. “Why didn't you tell me anything!?”

“I don't pay attention to your scrawny legs! Learn to dress yourself!” Stepping into cool, dark stone with the sounds of arguing as a faint backdrop reminded her of the Citadel with a painful twinge. Distracted as she made to turn her tunic around, Nerr didn't notice the water on the ground until she stepped in it, nearly slipping. Her life flashed before her eyes until she managed to steady herself, heart pounding as she truly took in her surroundings.

 

Thick roots had broken through the stone in places, twisting and winding around the slick stones. Whatever river the others had unearthed must have flowed through here, given how deep the water was further in. The only source of light in the cavern's depths, faint as it was, shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow. Careful with her steps this time, Nerr headed in deeper, the vacuous cave amplifying every wet sound from her feet splashing to the condensation dripping from the walls... as well as loud smacks that only grew louder as the light grew brighter. Lilith still clutched her opalescent orb between all four stumpy legs as she hovered near an outcropping of stone. Nerr hadn't seen her since first arriving in Valla, and she'd been so distraught she barely paid the smaller dragon any mind. She distinctly remembered the sight of her mouth opening wider, wider, the skin folding back as she blew apart the watery corpses with a wave. It was so much more unsettling to see in an otherwise calm setting.

 

“Lilith? What are you eating?” Her former equerry froze mid-bite, those rows upon rose of teeth already sunk deep into whatever flesh lay before her, partially obscured from where Nerr stood.

|Uh... food.| She turned, closing her mouth a second too late to hide the half chewed meat making it's way down her gullet. She looked so... cute on the outside, yet held such horrors within. At least Nerr _looked_ as terrible as her insides must have been. Lilith floated closer to her liege, carrying the stench of blood on her as she went out of her way to block whatever was behind her. Nauseating as it was, the smell too reminded the Nohrian princess of the Citadel, of watching Gunther and Jakob butcher the scrawny wolves that crept too close to the bailey in the winter... as well as other things. Lilith's too happy voice barely distracted her from the memory of a seared flank, crusted in pepper and swimming in it's own juices.

 

|I'm so happy you're okay, milady. I wanted to check on you sooner, but I've been... preoccupied. I hope you aren't upset?|

“No. What is that, Lilith? I'm serious.” Despite her deadly force, the dragon floating in front of her face was still no larger than an especially obese cat, and Nerr nudged her aside with ease. She was so hungry she could eat a horse, even if it meant tearing into it raw with her bare hands. She stopped short a few feet away from the makeshift dinner table. Hairy as it was, it was no horse. A leg, a person's leg, or what remained of it, lay on the stone, a gruesome offering on a perverted alter. From foot to thigh, the only part of it that still looked fresh lay above the knee, where several chunks had been torn out. Everything below seemed carved from wood, complete with bark and moss and fungus all molded in the vaguest shape of a foot. ”...is that a person's leg...?”

 

|It... used to be...| She fidgeted, like a nervous dog, sinking until her tail trailed in the icy water beneath her. |I didn't hurt anyone, I swear! He was already dead. And it's not like I can just sidle up to your stupid family and ask for a place at _their_ hearth--|

“Lilith.” Nerr stopped her, turning so she didn't have to stare at the macerated limb, though the thread of rot was beginning to seep into the air. “It's fine. I understand.”

|Truly?| The skepticism in her voice stung, but considering the strange contempt she now faced, it was just as understandable.

“Yes, truly. You are a dragon. Dragons eat human just as surely as humans eat cattle.” It was a strange thing to say out loud, a non-contestable fact that she had read in history books a hundred thousand times, and yet still a mind blowing revelation. Dragons ate people. While some treated humans kindly, as beloved pets if not their almost equals, so many more saw them as dinner. Their charging at Anankos was as foolhardy as a coop of chickens charging a butcher.

 

|--humans.|

“Huh? What?” Nerr jolted forgetting for a moment where she was. A cold voice echoed in her mind, _charge into a dragon's gaping maw_... Would it look like Lilith's, hundreds of teeth that would rip their flesh to ribbons as they slid down his throat? Lilith came closer, hovering near her knees.

|I said _you_ don't eat humans, Lady Nerr.|

“Give me a week or two.” The princess chuckled, her half-hearted grin sliding from her face. “I'm not a dragon. Not like you. I'm...” She looked down at herself, filthy and haggard and half dressed. “A human. I'm small and weak. I have a human's teeth and a human's stomach and a human's mind. I can't look at that and think 'dinner time'.”

 

|...that's a _good_ thing, milady. You should be grateful you can still think like that. There may be a time one day when everything looks like dinner to you.| Even though her face could no longer emote, the pain in her voice clawed at Nerr's heart. But those blank, golden eyes could not stay her tongue.

“Like Anankos?” The ever flicking tail stopped. “Leo and Takumi told me that you said you're Anankos' child. Is that true?” Her tiny claws gripped her orb tighter, scraping audibly. “Lilith? Is that true?”

|Yes! ...yes. I didn't tell you... I _couldn't._ As soon as they found out... it was like they'd never seen me before. For _five years_ I greeted your siblings every time they came to visit, and all of that was forgotten. I knew that would happen, I knew everyone would turn on me!| A pained whimper pierced Nerr's mind, Lilith's diminutive form trembling. |I didn't want you to do the same. I'm loyal to you, Lady Nerr, I am!| The princess reached out, tilting the dragon's head back to look at her. Her scales were smooth, less like a wyvern and more like a fish.

 

“I know that, Lilith.”

|Y-you do?|

“Of course. If you were working for Anankos, you'd have killed me years ago. How many times have I been alone with you? How many times could you have just broken my neck and made it seem like I'd been thrown from Pollux or Bravane?” She laughed humorlessly. “Hells, you could have just let me fall into Valla the first time! You think I would have fought back against those creatures? I'd have let them kill me and thanked them for their service!” She cupped Lilith's cheek, rubbing it much the way she used to stroke her cat before he mysteriously vanished. “I've known you longer and more closely than most of the people I fight alongside. If they question your trustworthiness, they should question each other's as well. You are not Anankos.”

 

|Lady Nerr... I--| Her voice garbled into a choked sob. |Thank you...| Nerr patted her head lightly, trying not to knock off the coif she still wore.

“There there, Lilith. Don't cry...” She bent down to Lilith's level, crimson meeting gold. It was a wonder she didn't realize sooner, given how eerily similar her eyes were to Azura's. “Now, you tell me everything you know about that monster before I give you something to _really_ cry about.” The tearful whimpering ceased at once, replaced with confusion.

|Wh-what--?|

“'Wh-what--?' What part of that wasn't clear? Do I think you're one of Anankos' thralls? Of course not, but you're certainly not on _my_ side! There's a gods' damned chasm between 'not murdering someone in their sleep' and 'actually helping them'. _Are_ you loyal to me? Then prove it. Tell me how to kill that monster!”

 

She straightened too quickly, seized by vertigo. The ebb and flow of blood in her ears made everything seem surreal. More surreal than simply standing face to... air above face with Anankos' own flesh and blood. Children looked like their parent. She had her mother's nose and chin and even the same mole. What if Anankos was just a bigger Lilith, a giant fish-cat with a lamprey's mouth? It should have been a horrific thought, but just imagining the piscine way her mouth gaped on a massive scale had Nerr in hysterics. She didn't even realize she was laughing until the sound reached her ears, the echo of the cave making it sound hollow and unfamiliar.

 

|Lady Nerr? Are you alright?|

“He looks so fucking stupid...!” She gasped in between laughter. The headaches from before were rearing their ugly head once again, and every chuckle felt like a hammer hitting against her temples, but she couldn't stop.

|Milady, you're scaring me...|

“No, I'm not. Oh, I have to go back home...”

|Home?|

“What? No. To the... the...” She gestured helplessly with both hands, her empty sleeve flopping pitifully. “The... camp? I'm so tired...”

 

|Oh. Well, let me carry you back.|

“What? No. I'll squish you.” Lilith rose, her eyes flashing every time Nerr blinked.

|I'm a dragon, milady. Outside the Astral Realm, I may be weak, but inside it's plane, I daresay I'm stronger than you.| That seemed unlikely, but Nerr could not put her argument into words. At least, not words that made sense. She grumbled something as the tiny dragon leaned against her and she leaned forward in response, draping over her back as though she were an awkwardly shaped foot stool.

 

Lilith had carried her like that when she first fell into the Infinite Chasm, as well. It was a shame, in truth. For want of one person's life, a war between the two great kingdoms now raged anew, a dire game of chess whose onlooker was just waiting for the right time to flip over the board. The gravity of her thoughts vanished as she imagined a monstrous Elise throwing a tantrum as Leo put her in check, crushing entire towns underfoot as she stomped and whined that he was cheating.

 

|Milady? Why are you laughing?|

“Your father is an overgrown, petulant child!” Only her laughter remained, echoing in the cavern as Lilith carried her out. Her voice was small, and miserable.

|...you aren't wrong, milady...|

 

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A/N- Oh. Dear. Lord. It's been a while, hasn't it? I wrote this chapter several months ago, but I never want to upload anything until I have at least five chapters waiting. Currently, I have six, and with any luck, I'll only need two or three more to finish the series. I'm sure this isn't worth the wait, two of you who are still reading, but in my defense... I got nothing. I've been very sick, very depressed, and very busy, and it's taken it's toll on my writing, but I _REFUSE_ to leave this godforsaken abomination incomplete. We've already come this far- might as well see it through to the end, eh?


	23. Deja Vu, pt.2

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Ch.23- Deja Vu, pt.2

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 There was precious little more frustrating than being useless. She had attempted to gather the others into a meeting, to further discuss where their additional manpower would come from and how it would be paid for, but try as she might, Nerr found concentrating on her own discussion impossible. If she could have blamed it on Camilla nearly crushing her in her efforts to keep her still, she would have, but it would have been disingenuous. Likewise, she could not blame Ryouma for staring at her as though he were trying to bore holes into her skull. Neither of those things helped, but they certainly didn't _make_ her as agitated as she was.

 The itching ache where her hand should have been was driving her to madness, surely. The intensity of those pins and needles in the fingers that were no longer there were what caused her to snap when she didn't mean to, and the stabbing behind her eyes was why she couldn't put her thoughts into words. They could not understand it. It irritated them, it frightened them, and that only agitated her further. When Xander half lead, half carried her back to her little cave, she was torn between tears and sinking her teeth into the hand that was almost hovering over her shoulder.

    “You still aren't well, sister. You cannot be expected to consider such serious matters until you are yourself again.” Those were the words his mouth spoke, but the tension in his own shoulders spoke a different narrative,  _ Can a man not admit he was wrong? _ He trusted her as little now as he did before, but she was too tired to argue, just let him steer her back to her room after getting thoroughly trounced in the training yard. She could almost smell Jakob making tea, but there was no more tea, no more Jakob. “We'll make no decisions without your input, little princess. I assure you. Just rest, and get well.”

She barely heard his words, reaching for her arm, the fingers she still had buzzing as they groped at empty air. 'Get well'... How could she ever be well, Nerr wondered as she stared at the stump she was left with. She never noticed how much she needed her non-dominant hand until it had been ripped away from her. Now that she was acutely aware of it's absence, even simple things like sitting were a trial, not at all helped by the fact that she  _ still felt it _ . More than once, trapped in that dark cell, the frustration of trying to move something that wasn't there drove her to tears. It was all she could do not to bash her head against the cold stones. Delirium, that was what Gunther said it was. Her fever no doubt contributed to it, to say nothing of all the stress.

    “I've seen it far too often among soldiers, dearest,” He told her in between spooning soup into her mouth, very much against her will. She could feed herself. She would maintain that belief until her dying day, even when her hand shook so badly that she dropped a searing hot chunk of rabbit onto her lap. She wasn't useless. She wasn't helpless. “It was always a terrible thing. They would wander about the camp, or the battlefield. Hearing things that weren't there, speaking to someone when there was nothing around them but corpses... One of many of the tragedies of war...” That wouldn't be her, he assured her. She was just ill, just stressed, just tired, that was all. She needed to relax, to rest.

Life did not stop because an ancient god threatened their very existence, and if the rest of the world could ignore such a threat until it already crossed their door frame, she could put it from her mind for a few days. He was right. They were safe here, Nerr reminded herself. But the Citadel was supposed to be safe, too, and that had not stopped one particularly determined Hoshidan from sneaking inside and nearly making off with her. That was the first thought that crossed her sleep-muddled mind as something dark and heavy loomed over her one night. Sharp as her eyes were, she was too sleepy, too confused to make distinguish one shadow from another, but one was most certainly darker than the others. She could see it,  _ feel _ it, squeezing her wrists tight enough for the bones to scrape against each other.

Despite the cold fingers digging into her flesh, she could not scream, could reach for neither sword nor dragonstone. She could only endure the pain until she blinked and suddenly, everything was bright, and there was no shadow overhead. She was alone, and had been for some time, judging by how cool the other side of the bedroll was. All alone now, but she hadn't been. Anankos, it had to have been Anankos... Despite her growing desire to get up and find someone, anyone else- for there was always more safety in numbers- the princess only curled into a tight little ball, staying locked in that position until she heard feet shuffling in the dark sand outside the cave's entrance. Scrambling to get up, she threw herself at the first body part she could reach, nearly knocking Gunther to the ground as she wrapped around his legs.

    “Damnation, Nerr! I almost--”

“Someone was in here!” She looked up, expecting to see fear and concern, not the annoyance that was thinning his lips.

“Gods help me if your sister--”

“What? No! It wasn't Camilla! It was somebody- something else!”

|Milady? What are you talking about?| Nerr sighed in relief. Lilith was just behind her knight. Yes, this was who she needed. Lilith would explain how someone managed to sneak in. She would find them.

“Someone was in here last night. I saw them!”

“You  _ saw _ them?” Gunther managed to step over her, setting a shallow basket laden with food at the foot of their sorry bed. “You're sure about that?”

“Yes!”

 “And you don't think you could have been dreaming?”

“No!” She turned to Lilith, desperate. “It's possible, isn't it? No fortress is truly secure.  _ Something _ could have found it's way in here, just as we found our way to Valla, couldn't it?!” Were she still in her human form, Lilith would have been nervously undoing her braid- she oft combed through it with her fingers when confronted with something she didn't wish to talk about it. As it were, the small dragon could do nothing but avoid her manic gaze.

 |It's not _impossible_... As you said, no fortress is truly secure. As difficult as it is to do so, there have been occasions when human have unwittingly stumbled into Astral Planes. I suppose... if someone was truly desperate to get in... there wouldn't be much stopping them.| Even as it validated her, Nerr felt her heart begin hammering against her breast, every breath growing more and more labored.

“For gods' sake... Shame on you, Lilith.” The old knight had been tearing off chunks from a coarse, black loaf, but stopped to glare disapprovingly at the dragon. “Your liege needs peace to heal, and you're driving her half mad with this unfounded nonsense. Begone with you!”

“It's not nonsense!” Nerr all but screamed. She had  _ felt _ it. The way Gunther looked at her, she felt like she was confessing that she believed in fairies.

“It  _ is _ nonsense, Nerr. I was right beside you all night. Do you think something could have crept in here without me noticing?”

“Yes! You're only human- you can't hear every little sound!” He scoffed.

“I take great offense to that.”

 “It touched me! It grabbed me, I felt it! Hard enough to leave a mark!” She held up her arms, quickly lowering the left, but judging by the way his eyes narrowed, not quickly enough. The older man got back to his feet with a groan, kneeling beside her and rolling up her sleeve. The skin beneath was unblemished. Caked in dirt, but beneath that, no unsightly purple marks. ' _It must have healed...'_ The words were on her tongue, but muted by the faint, but still visible yellow and green splotches on her chest and stomach. “I saw it... I felt it...” She whispered, more to herself than anyone. Gunther rolled her sleeve back down, softly rubbing the part of her wrist that had been grabbed the way he used to to soothe away her hurts.

 “I'm sure you did, my darling. But what's more likely; that some creature had you at it's mercy and did nothing to harm you, or that you mayhaps had a nightmare? Didn't you used to have such horrible nightmares when you were little?” Yes... horrible, horrible dreams, of darkness and pain and fear that more often than not resulted her waking to not only her pillow, but her sheets wet as well. When she closed her eyes, she could still see that darkness, more solid than the rest.

 “I... I suppose you're right... If it had been one of Anankos' monsters, I'd be dead now.” Gunther smiled, kissing her knuckles, which were just as filthy as the rest of her.

“I wouldn't let you die, my lady. Not to shadow creatures, and most certainly not to hunger.” He pulled her back over to the bed roll, setting her down and plopping the basket of food in front of her. “This will all be gone by the time I return, I trust. The last thing you need is an empty stomach giving you strange dreams.” She froze, a handful of bread halfway to her mouth.

“You're not staying here?”

“Trees aren't the only life the Dragon Veins have breathed into this land. Princess Hinoka claims to have seen a deer in one of the woods. I intend to bring it back for you. My lady needs her strength if she is to heal.” He kissed the top of her head, ducking back out of the cave before she could so much as bid him farewell. Back in the Citadel, she always wished him a safe journey, at least. But this was not the Citadel. Tossing the bread back into the basket, Nerr laid back down.

 |Lady Nerr? You should really eat. It's not good for you to skip meals after such an injury.| Lilith floated beside her, the orb clutched between her stubby legs brushing against her arm. It was neither warm nor cool, a strangely neutral temperature that matched that of her skin so perfectly she wouldn't have felt it had she not seen that she was feeling it.

“I'm not hungry.” But then again, she had felt the icy hand close around her wrists as well. Both of them... “Lilith?”

|Yes, milady?|

“Am I crazy?”

|What!? No! Why would you even ask something so silly?| The princess flexed her fingers, watching how each joint moved in such a fluid motion. She could see it as sure as she could feel it. And yet, she could feel her other arm, despite there being nothing to see.

 “I'm seeing things that aren't there. Maybe it's just nightmares, but... that's even worse. I can't tell if I'm dreaming or not. I might not even be awake now.” Lilith inched closer to her, until her flat snout brushed against Nerr's nose. In a blur of white and blue, she moved like a loosed arrow, chomping down hard  on the protruding flesh. Howling in pain, the older woman flew back, reaching up to her face and fully expecting to feel a hole between her eyes. No, her nose was still there, throbbing and wet with saliva and a few drops of blood. “Aurgh! You crazy bitch! What was that for!?”

    |It looks like you're awake. If you weren't before, you certainly are now.|

“I'll fucking gut you, Lilith!” The almost smug tone in the other girl's voice vanished at once. It was difficult to say if she took Nerr's threat seriously (as she should), or if she just felt guilty.

|I'm sorry, Lady Nerr. I would have pinched you, but... I don't have fingers anymore. I don't even have hands...|

“...that makes two of us...”

|At least you have  _ one _ hand. That's one more than me. You can use a sword.| Drying her nose, the sting already weakening, Nerr laughed, a sour, humorless scoff of a laugh.

 “Can I? I have my sword arm, true, but fighting is not so simple as swinging a pointy stick. You have to use your entire body. You have to have a sense of balance. I can't even dress myself. If I try to fight in this state, I'll probably just end up short another arm, if not a head. Not that it would matter; I've already lost my mind.”

|That's not true, milady.| Despite hesitating for a moment, Lilith approached her, resting her head half atop her knee. When she'd first found the strange creature hiding in the stables, she used to hold it on her lap as she sprinkled vulneraries onto the raw spots on it's back. Back then, it had nearly been too big for her lap. It was strange how small she looked now, especially when so many other things were so massive and ominous. |I don't think you're mad, Lady Nerr. I  _ know _ you're not. Even if there was nothing here with you physically last night, that doesn't mean there was nothing.|

“...could you repeat that, but in the common tongue?” Her former equerry sighed in her mind.

|Dragons... often possess the gift of premonition. It's a power they can even pass down to their human descendants.| Yes, Izana got visions from the gods. And... and hadn't Yukimura said something about her mother, she... she “knew” she was going to die. Was that too a vision of what was to come?

“I'm not dreaming about the future. I'm cursed with nightmares of the past.”

|The past and the future are often interchangeable. At least, that's what he said.| All her heavy thoughts were wiped away, and Nerr focused on Lilith with renewed vigor.

 “By 'he', you mean Anankos, right? What does he know about time? Does he have visions? Does he know what we're planning?”

|I--| The dragon looked up at her, her eyes like golden saucers. When they were so large, she could see that their pupils were vertical slits, just like hers. She had never thought to look closely at her eyes when she had been human. Perhaps because it never occurred to her that her stable girl could be an ancient beast long thought dead in this corner of the world. |I don't know, milady. I didn't know much even when I served him. He never told me... anything.|

“What do you mean? Are you not his daughter?” Those slits narrowed further.

 |I am. You of all people should know how little that means, Lady Nerr.| Her fist balled in her tunic. Of course, how could she be so naïve? |My father rarely spoke to me, and when he did, it was only to bark out orders, or admonish me for doing something wrong. He wasn't wrong; if I had done my duties correctly, those outsiders would never have left Valla alive.|

“And if I had done  _ mine _ correctly, my mother would be alive and Hoshido would not be getting crushed under Garon's boot. In failure, we are one and the same.” Lilith laughed sadly.

|I'd toast to that... if I had hands. Lord Anankos'... laconic nature may make it easy to commiserate about him, but unfortunately, it made knowing him exceedingly difficult. Most everything I know is what I learned on my own, or what I gleaned from his memories.| Thoroughly distracted, Nerr's hand had begun inching towards her forgotten breakfast, but she paused halfway there.

“You have his memories?” Lilith shook her tiny head.

|Nothing that would be of much use, I'm afraid. If he ever wrote a book titled 'The Best Way To Defeat Me', I'm not privy to it.| She had been more confused as to how one could share another beings' memories than what they consisted of, but held her tongue. In the five years she'd known Lilith, the younger girl had not spoken as much as she was now. It made perfect sense in hindsight, and in truth, Nerr had never particularly  _ cared _ what her servants' lives consisted of before they arrived at the Northern Citadel. More and more, she regretted that selfishness. Here she was, tasked with saving a world she never even wanted to know... |Most of what I... 'remember'... is from before.|

 “Oh. Yes. _Before_. Because I _obviously_ know what you mean by that.”

|Before...  _ this _ . Before the destruction, before he lost himself. He wasn't... always like this. Few dragons start out like this.| Nerr frowned. She didn't like what she was hearing, from the words Lilith spoke to her tremulous whisper.

“Like feral beasts whose continued existence is a threat to all life as we know it?” The dragon flinched at her sharp tone, looking back up at her with those big, wet eyes.

|It's a sickness, milady. A sickness of the mind--|

“Don't make excuses for that thing, Lilith,” She brushed her off. “I don't care  _ why _ he does what he does; I only care about how to kill him.” Lilith closed her eyes, her mouth still opening and closing.

 |I don't know.|

“ _ What?” _

|I  _ said _ 'I don't know'.| It was difficult to gauge just what emotions her voice held, subdued as it was. Sorrow, regret, apprehension- it could have been blind anger, for all Nerr knew. It was so difficult to read a person when there was nothing before her but a blank slate and a voice in her head. |I assume you would kill him the same way you'd kill just about anything else. Decapitation. Dismemberment. Immolation. The method is not the problem, Lady Nerr.|

    “Then what is? Finding him? Getting there?”

|Getting  _ to _ him. You can make it to the castle, no doubt. He hasn't left it in decades.|

“Then we have to prepare for a siege, is that what you're saying?” Lilith shook her head, the gem atop her forehead blinking as it caught the light.

|No. He'd starve you out before you did the same to him. I... I need time to think of how to word this, milady. It's been so long since I've spoken of him... it is... difficult.|

 As much as she wanted to argue that there was no time for her to hold her tongue, Nerr remembered, however faintly, those not-so happy memories that blended together with her nightmares. As clear as it was in her mind, she doubted she could explain to anyone exactly how big and terrifying those dark figures that sometimes opened the door to her cell had been. So she nodded, trying to wet her suddenly dry mouth.

 “I understand. When I am well enough to hold council with the others, I pray you will be able to find your words by then.”

|Thank you, milady.| Her voice was small and quiet, despite her occupying the same space as the princess. |I will. And I will leave you to your breakfast. I don't want Sir Gunther to blame me for you not eating.| Nerr gave a tired laugh. She wasn't going to be eating, not with her stomach aching as badly as it did. A thought had sprung into her mind, half-formed, and before she could think any further on it, her lips were moving.

“Was he very cruel to you? Anankos?” Lilith's tiny claws scratched at her orb as she tightened her grip.

 |Yes. And no.|

“That was a yes  _ or _ no question. Which is it?”

|It's both. He was cold, and hard, and cruel... No matter what I did, no matter how hard I slaved for him, he never praised me...| ' _ So he was cruel...' _ Before she could speak, the younger girl continued her thoughts. |But I was his beloved daughter. He told me so himself, before I fled. His hands were warm, and gentle, and he smiled at me. Only once...| She closed her eyes. If she had been human, they'd have been full of tears. |I told you, milady; he wasn't always like he is now. He was good, once.|

    “But no longer. Whatever goodness was in him is gone now. He makes you cry. He killed Jakob. He doesn't deserve the breath he wastes.” She did not know how she could speak so assuredly when only doubt and fear filled her heart.

000

 Despite her belief that she could not eat, the smell of food and her grumbling stomach proved to be too powerful a call to ignore, even when she ought. Nerr tore off huge chunks of bread with her teeth, nearly gagging as she chewed. It was a good, relatively fresh Nohrian loaf, but it felt like she was grinding an old, musty book between her teeth. Every mouthful she swallowed made her feel more nauseous, but that first bite had awakened a ravenous hunger within her. She could barely stop long enough to catch her breath, and had finished the entire loaf by the time a shadow in the entrance of the cave caught her eye. She froze, lips stretched painfully around an apple, poised to bite. She expected Gunther to reappear cloaked in the stench of blood and sweat, but all that reached nose was a faint whiff of soap. It should have come as no surprise, then, that it was Camilla who stepped inside, her long waves pinned high up on her head.

 “Where did you get soap from?”

“Really?  _ That's _ how you greet your dear sister?” Nerr wanted soap. She wanted a tub filled to the brim with water hot enough to turn her skin red and finely milled soap and shampoo. The elder princess moved so gracefully, it seemed like she floated over to her sister, sitting beside her as though they were having tea in a spring courtyard. Were it not for those dark, unsightly circles around her eyes and the stump that had begun to itch again, Nerr would have wondered if this whole excursion hadn't just been a horrible nightmare. “A lady has her ways, darling. Cleanliness is a must, especially during a war. You were wise to insist we travel small. A hundred soldiers would have caught a bloody flux by now.” She'd bitten into her apple as her sister spoke, and now the juices running down her chin and neck were too closely linked in her mind to oozing pus for her to swallow. Gagging, she spit out the mealy apple flesh behind her.

 “Ugh! I'm trying to eat, Camilla!”

“Well, I'm sorry. You've never been one to have a weak stomach before.”

“Yes, I have!” The older woman waved her hand dismissively. 

“An upset tummy here and there is not a weak stomach.” Her tone became less flippant, her smile loosing some of its splendor. “You were so strong. It was so hard to remember that you weren't our sister by blood, because I couldn't look at you without thinking, 'she's a little me!'...” The sweet juices lingering in her mouth turned to bile.  _ You  _ **_were_ ** _ so strong... _

    “Am I so weak now, sister?” Camilla's brows pinched in distress. She took Nerr's hand into both of hers, stroking the backs of her knuckles.

“You're very strong, sweetling. And you'd be even stronger if you didn't spend all day holed away in this makeshift dungeon.” Her voice had turned bitter, and it was all Nerr could do not to roll her eyes.

“I've been sick.”

 “And we all know whose fault _that_ is, don't we?” Her jaw dropped.

“Are you suggesting I should have let Takumi fall to his death!?”

“What?” Camilla stared at her, genuinely shocked by what she was hearing. “No! Well... no. I mean...  _ I _ certainly wouldn't have risked life and limb for a Hoshidan, but he's your blood brother. I can understand your reluctance to see his brains splattered across the ground.”  _ The ground around her was a shifting blur of green, though there was one large splash of red about two or so yards from the wall... _ The bile taste grew more intense, and she swallowed the copious amount of saliva that was filling her mouth as a result.

 “Then what are you saying, sister? It's no ones' fault but mine that I'm like this.” And maybe Takumi's, but try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to blame him in earnest. Camilla's lips pursed.

“ _ You _ didn't mutilate yourself.” It was hard to decide what bothered her more- the implication of her sister's words, or the fact that for a moment, she found herself agreeing.  _ 'Mutilated. Yes, that's what this is. I'm a disgusting facsimile of myself now...' _

_ _ “ No one _ ' _ mutilated _ '  _ me, sister. My arm was crushed- I was there when it happened. I had to lose it, or die.” The older woman's grip on her hand tightened. If she'd still had the other one, would she have held them both, or still just focused all her affection and concern into one?

    “Is that what he's been telling you? Hmm? Painting himself as a selfless hero?”

“He  _ is _ a hero, Camilla--” She winced as sharp nails cut into her skin.

“He's the monster that did this to you, Nerr. You could have been healed. Elise was panicking in the moment, but she could have healed you. There are staves that can raise the dead. The staff she has from Father is as ancient and powerful as any of our weapons. Do you not think a few broken bones and torn muscles couldn't be healed?” The draconic princess shook her head, pulling her hand away before Camilla inadvertently crushed that one.

 “It was more than 'a few broken bones', sister. I'd never felt pain like that before in my life. I thought for certain I would die of the pain alone. Such a thing couldn't be healed.” The lilac-haired woman was not convinced, her eyes hard and gleaming with angry tears.

“When you jumped off that landing like a little fool, it was more than a few broken bones as well. We thought for certain you'd never walk again. And yet you did. If that wretched old fool had been there before us, he'd probably have hacked off both your legs and claimed he did you a favor!” Nerr recoiled, anger and shock twisting her expression.

 “How can you say such a horrible thing!? Gods, Camilla, I know you dislike him, but I would think you above such baseless slander.”

_ _ “It's the truth!” The older woman took her hand again, squeezing her knuckles tightly as she leaned closer to her sister. “Sweetling, you must believe me. I confess, I may have been quick to judge in the past. My words and actions may have been based more in fearful speculation than reality... But only because your happiness and wellbeing matter more to me than anything else.” She reached up, brushing away a lock of teal. “I want you to be happy, Nerr. And if that horrid old man  makes you happy, I'd have been willing to accept that... but not now. Not after what I've seen.” Nerr rolled her eyes, the strain exacerbating the headache creeping up on her.

    “You saw a man acting out of fear for his betrothed's life.” Camilla's nose scrunched at that word, as though she'd just waved a piss-soaked rag beneath it, but to her surprise, the elder princess didn't launch into the tirade she'd been expecting.

“No. I know what fear looks like, Nerr. I've seen fear in all it's forms. What I saw that day, dear sister, was hate. When I tried to stop him and he pushed me aside, there was hatred in your dear knight's eyes.” She fought her first instinct, to deny, deny, deny. Gunther didn't hate anyone, the ignorant little girl inside her heart staunchly declared. Cold and hard as he could be, he didn't hate anyone... His eyes didn't turn to ice when he looked at “the Kougan”, there was no dark loathing smoldering in his voice when he spoke of Garon...

 “He was upset, Camilla. You can't judge a person based on a single interaction. Unless you think I truly disdain Xander?” Her sister was not convinced, her lips thin, pressed into a hard line.

“What you call a single interaction others might call a glimpse beneath the surface.”

“Gunther is all surface.”

“That's what he  _ wants _ you to think! You know nothing about the man, Nerr. This isn't the first time he's kept you hidden away from us; it's not even the second! When you were first brought to Nohr, I tried so many times to see you, and without fail, that glorified hedge knight turned me away, even threatening to tell Father. It wasn't until Xander put him in his place that we even caught a glimpse of you!”

 Nerr remembered very little of the time before she was a princess of Nohr, dark, cold scenes often blended with dreams and nightmares. She remembered that she had been very ill once then, a story Gunther and Xander and even Camilla all agreed on. Her sister was making mountains out of anthills, but aggravating as it was, Nerr could see plainly that her worry came from a place of love, easing the sting a bit.

    “I appreciate your concern, sister. Perhaps you have a point. Since we've arrived in Valla, Gunther has been acting...” Cold. Distant. Cruel. “Unlike himself. I will discuss this with him. Regardless of what happens, he should not treat his future good-sister so meanly.” She had expected that look of disgust to cross Camilla's face (indeed, it was one of the reasons she'd worded it as such), but she had also expected to see a  _ hint _ of relief afterwards. Violet eyes only darkened, her brows furrowing.

“You can 'discuss' it until you're blue in the face, Nerr. He'll deny it, or say that he's just stressed, or upset, or tired. This isn't him, he doesn't want to upset you, it won't happen again. But it  _ will _ . And you'll confront him again, and he'll give you the same old song and dance until he gets as fed up with you as he is with the rest of us and you wake up to hands wrapped around your throat.” Dread sank in her stomach, cold and heavy as she remembered whatever beast Anankos had sent after her, squeezing her wrists so tightly it felt like they would pop. That dread bled into anger, and Nerr clenched her jaw.

 “Apologize.”

“What?”

“I have entertained this nonsense from you long enough, Camilla. Gunther is not whatever conniving duke that tried to wrap you around his finger, and every time you insult him as such, my mind goes blank with white-hot rage. I will not have you trying to brainwash me into believing that my intended is a monster!” Camilla laughed, a breathless scoff.

 “He _is_ a monster, Nerr. He butchered children in the war! Were you truly naïve enough to believe that the most renowned knight in Nohr won those honors on the jousting tilt? What other fantasies has that deviant filled your head with? Painting himself as a knight in shining armor so you'd be grateful for him 'saving' you and not protest when he tries to stick his cock in you?” Nerr bit her tongue until a metallic taste bloomed in her mouth.

000

She'd needed to clear her head after Camilla, and the stale air in the cave was only making her sick to her stomach the longer she breathed it in. Finding a spot at the outskirts of their camp was not hard. That was where she always ended up. Traveling with the Hoshidans, she and Jakob and Gunther had always made sure to keep just enough distance between where they huddled together and the fire that the others gathered around. It was just as it had been in the Citadel, and if he were still with them, Nerr could not imagine it being any different. Jakob would stay with her and when anyone overstayed their welcome, he would kindly escort them away.

She would not be nauseous if he was there. Her arm wouldn't hurt so badly. Gunther wouldn't be so upset. Bent double where she sat, the princess drew in the sand with her toe, a large triangle at the top, with squares and circles and crosses around it in various patterns. Leo used to tell her of the giant map their-- his father used to plan attacks. She never expected anything as a grand as a wall to wall map of the continent and hundreds of carved figures, but she at least expected something more than  _ this _ . Troops, supplies, generals, support... she flexed the fingers that were no longer a part of her body. She'd expected to keep those, too... Heavy boots shuffled through the sand behind her, each step too quick, the distance between them too short.

 “There you are, sister. I went to your... quarters, but you weren't there.”

“No, I wasn't.” Swiping the sand over a group of crosses with her heel, she set about replacing them with squares in a wavy line. Xander stopped beside her, looking down at her or her crude battle plan, she did not care enough to see. He took up so much less space when he wasn't encased in armor.

“Camilla went to see to you earlier. Did you two speak?”

“Yes.”

“... _ and?” _

 “And I punched her in the face.” Wiping out the back row of squares, she added several crosses back, as though that somehow looked better. Xander choked on his words, sputtering to try and get them out.

“You did  _ what!? _ Gods above, Nerr, tell me this is some cruel jest!” She would have ignored him had he not physically turned her to face him. She was a dragon. She did not need to fear his anger. Yet still, she curled into herself, her voice as defensive as her shoulders up around her ears.

“She brought it on herself. I  _ warned _ her, Xander- I told her to silence that diarrhea she was spouting, and she refused. There's only so far you can push a woman. In fact,” She reached out, handing the prince what had been occupying her hand. He took it, by instinct more than curiosity, his handsome face twisting as he saw the clump of tangled lilac sitting in his palm like some abhorrent cake. “You can return that to her when you see her.”

Xander must have seen all manner of horrors, not just as a knight but as King Garon's son and heir. To judge by his expression, the sickly green tinge that soured his already milk-white face, you wouldn't think so. Struggling not to gag, he cast the hairball aside, shaking his hand desperately to rid himself of the strands that had wound their way around his fingers. Moving away from it, he knelt in front of her, ruining her tactics with his stupid knees.

 “This is unacceptable behavior, Nerr. You will seek out our sister at once and apologize--” Nerr cut him off with a harsh laugh, right in his face.

“I think not. She provoked me!”

“Provoked-- Even if she had, even if that was a legitimate excuse to lay hands on a princess of Nohr- and it's not, you know it's not- you respond like  _ this?” _ He pointed at the clump of hair, as though it's very existence offended him. The younger woman looked between the sparse strands and her brother, settling on the latter. 

 “... _yes!_   Of course that's how I respond! That's how we all respond! How many peoples' teeth has Camilla knocked out for saying something she didn't care to hear? How many times have I threatened to stab you with a fork? Leo convinced me I had a deadly allergy for years! Where was the apology for that?!” Xander seemed to age ten years as she rattled off examples of his family's less than noble behavior. She almost felt sorry for him; how poorly they all reflected on their heir at times.

“Different times, different circumstances, Nerr. In times of peace, such shenanigans can be overlooked and forgiven. But here and now? When there is so much at stake, and so much is riding on our shoulders, you can do  _ nothing _ that might throw our forces into chaos! You must inspire loyalty and trust- striking your soldiers accomplishes the inverse.” He was right. She knew he was right, and that knowledge simmered like bile in her gut. She might have been silent once, but she could no longer bite her tongue.

    “Camilla is not my soldier, Xander. She is my sister. That's why I struck her; had she been a soldier, I'd have her in a stockade for the way she spoke to me.” He shook his head. She could only imagine this scene from his perspective, having to speak slowly and clearly for the stupid child before him to understand.

“Nothing she said is worth you risking a mutiny. How many times have I warned you not to let your emotions run unchecked, little princess, and for this very reason? Conceal them--”

“Perhaps you should be teaching Camilla that nonsense instead of wasting  _ my _ time, brother. Tell her not to feel anger the next time she considers striking my intended, and tell her not to show her face around me again until she can speak of him civilly.” 

 Those were reasonable demands, Nerr thought. If Xander thought her actions were unjustifiable no matter what, then it stood to reason he should be just as angry at Camilla, who had a duty to be more mature and set an example for her younger siblings. When he sighed and pinched the bridge of his hooked nose, she felt a surge of guilt deep in her chest. He'd probably already chastised Camilla for her wrongdoing. He had probably been making plans while she lay abed with fever, taking care of everything, just like he always did. She expected the tired pleading of a brother pushed to his limits when he looked back at her. Instead, all she saw was annoyance, the same annoyance that greeted her when she was late to their training sessions.

 “Nerr. Now is not the time for your petty whinging.”

“... _ my  _ **_what_ ** _?” _

“This is a  _ war, _ far greater than one fought on Nohrian or Hoshidan soil. The time and place for you to be defensive about your Lothario is  _ anywhere but here and now _ . Gunther is a man grown; he doesn't need  _ or want _ some sassy child getting into fisticuffs over him. You are risking a rift, not just in your ranks, but in your  _ family, _ for nothing.” All her guilt, all her pity and sympathy, dried up at once. Every word that fell from his lips was another ember feeding into her fury, burning hotter the longer she considered them.

Conceal that anger, he told her, never let anyone see how their words and actions affected you. Control over one's emotions was among the greatest assets any prince or princess had. She controlled them. She did not scream, she did not cry or gnash her teeth or stomp her feet. To ask Nerr, she was stone, save for the dirk being stabbed into her temples and the unbearable ache in her hand that throbbed in time to her pulse, which followed the rhythm set by the red bleeding into the corners of her sight.

“...Sister? Are you--” His eyes widened, almost comically large, and he stared down at the spear embedded in the soil beside his foot. She did not expect the pain, and yet it didn't surprise her either, not so much as the sensation of her muscles and skin and the remaining stump of bone stretching out to form that needle-sharp point.

 Her limbs always stretched and malformed in unnatural, impossible ways when she transformed, but there was usually something there to be molded. She assumed the additional bone beneath the silvery white scales came from the same place her wings and tail did. The tip cut straight through the thick leather of Xander's boot, missing any flesh, but only by coincidence, and they both realized that. His mouth moved wordlessly as his mind tried to work out what came after the shock. She did not care if his yelling was a result of fear, anger, pain, or anything else.

 “ 'For nothing'. She attacks my soon-to-be husband for the crime of trying to save my life, then has the audacity to tell me afterwards that _he's_ mad, and that's 'nothing'. The same 'nothing' as you accusing me of trying to turn our siblings against the man who attempted to murder me. The same 'nothing' as Camilla coming to take my head to appease your father's wrath.”

“That is in the past, little princess--”

“It was  _ three months ago! _ Where were the two of you after that? Were you giving me council when I was lost? Were you giving me courage when I was weak and afraid? Were you beside me when I lay on the verge of death after being eviscerated by your father's Mokushuujin comrades? No, of course you weren't! That rift was my fault too! It was Gunther who stood beside me, Gunther and Jakob;  _ they _ were my family then, not Elise, not Leo, not Camilla, and certainly not  _ you _ .”

He stared at her as she panted, gulping down air so fast it left her mouth uncomfortably dry. If nothing else, the crown prince had the decency to look ashamed. He lowered his head, taking her hand into his, covering it. He'd removed his gloves, and she could feel the callouses on his hands. He'd been so proud when the bleeding blisters on her own fingers had finally hardened and she could wield her sword without crying afterwards. But it was Gunther who gave her those callouses, who tended to her bloody, swollen hands, and later taught Jakob how to.

 “I regret what you had to endure, little princess. And I regret the part I played in it even more. If I could take away all the pain and misery you suffered, I would do so in an instant.” He looked up, violet eyes meeting crimson. “But you must understand, Nerr, that I had a duty to my kingdom, my family--”

“Am I not your family?” His words shocked her as much as they seemed to shock him, she could see him mentally backtracking, shaking his head. He'd removed his circlet as well, his curls unrestrained.

“That isn't what I meant, and you know it. You'd spent so long with the Hoshidans- everyone knows they have strange magic. Anyone would have been suspicious of your claims.”

“...Leo wasn't. Sakura and Kaze weren't. Even Ryouma's retainer, who'd tried to kill me twice before, believed me. It wasn't until a stranger spoke on my behalf that you even deigned to listen to me. The same with Camilla. ...should I not value the allies who were there with me from the beginning over fair-weather friends, Xander? Would you not do the same?” He flinched, an impossibly quick grimace.

 “We're your family, Nerr.” 

_ “Gunther _ is my family. And  _ he's _ never tried to kill me. If you're worried about a rift in our happy camp, then fix it. Be a good big brother and tell Camilla she is wrong, and make her apologize to him  _ and _ me. She'll listen to you.” Everyone listened to Xander. She'd always wanted so badly to command respect like him. And even now, he just shook his head sadly.

“You know she won't do that, sister...”

 “You mean _you_ won't do that.” Her arm burned, and the soil beneath him cracked and shifted. He barely had time to look down before his knee sank into the now wet sand. Water bubbled up through the cracks, darkening his pant leg as it rolled across the sand, clinging to her toes. “You don't think she's wrong. All the horrible things she's said and done, and you would tell _me_ to apologize to _her_.”

“Nerr--” She pulled her hand away as he struggled to pulls his leg free of the sand that seemed determined to pull him in, made more difficult by his awkward position.

“ _ Never _ ask me to choose between you and Gunther while it's clear where your loyalties lie,  _ brother _ . Now, I'm going to give you three seconds to fuck off before I give Camilla a handful of  _ your _ hair. One.”

“Sister, please.”

_ “Two... _ ” The ground shifted again, just as he pulled himself free, his leg drenched from calf halfway up his thigh. Standing, he stared at her for a long while.

He looked so tired. Xander never looked tired when he came to the Citadel, no matter how early it was. He never looked bothered by the reports of brigands, or the cold snaps that ruined crops and froze people in the streets of Windmire. When he stood straight with his armor gleaming and a reassuring smile creasing the corners of his eyes, she felt as brave and strong as he looked. Where was her perfect, fearless brother now when she needed him most? Her bastion of justice and righteousness, who wouldn't even admit that their sister was wrong. Something Gunther said not so long ago twisted her insides.  _ He is growing into exactly the same kind of man as his father... _

 Whatever he may have wanted to say could wait until another time, apparently. Jaw clenched, he turned and walked back towards the camp. He'd be grinding his teeth the whole way there. Nerr turned her attention back to her battle plans. All of her soldiers symbols had been destroyed, by Xander's big stupid feet and her own misshapen limb. The best of plans, laid awry by pure, dumb happenstance. Her throat tightened, her toes and the sand and the grass all blurring into wavering soup. Could Anankos see them even now? Were they nothing more than tiny little figures on his map that he could sweep away without even thinking about it?

 A chill ran through her. Not of fear and dread, as she'd been expecting, no. Retracting the elongated point of her arm, she winced as the bone ground itself short again. Her sleeve was torn, the bandages coming loose, but she paid the stinging little mind, sinking her toes into the filthy little lake, and withdrawing them almost immediately. Cold. When she had attacked Hans, those blasts of water had been hot. She had felt the burning running down her arm, scalding her inside as surely as it scalded him. She felt no Dragon Vein under her. When Azura sang, that water was cold too.

Sniffling, Nerr rubbed her eyes dry, getting to her feet and kicking more dirt over the hole. The last thing they needed was for anyone to step in it and break their ankle. Knowing her luck, it'd be her. How could it take so much willpower just to approach the others? With every fiber of her being screaming to run in the opposite direction, she spoke to Hinoka, and Ryouma, trying to avoid actual conversation as much as possible to simply ask after Azura. They smiled at her, they were happy she was looking better, maybe too happy. Ryouma's smile looked forced when directed at her. It was all she could do not to wince as Hinoka tried to bolster her.

    “Even with half the arms, you'll still be twice the threat of anything Anankos throws at us!” Had they not gone to visit her while she was out, or had they simply not thrown a fit when being turned away? Like rational adults? She pushed Camilla from her mind, thanking them for their kind words, smiling herself. Ryouma's eyes snapped downwards.

“Your arm is bleeding, Nerrida.” Teeth pressed together tighter, she smiled wider. She could not risk a rift between her and her soldiers.

“Is it? I don't even feel it. Where is Azura?”

 “Shouldn't you see a healer first? Sakura's not that far away.”

“Do you really think I care if this useless stump has to be cut a few inches shorter?” Hinoka winced, her grin dimming.

“I guess that's the best way of looking at it, really. Azura's over there,” She pointed east, where the distant mountain looked smaller and foggier. “Training. I told her stay away from the river, but she won't listen.” Nerr pulled a face.

 “Training what? Do you have to train to sing?” Maybe you did. Surely a voice was just like any other instrument. She'd practiced her violin every other day... when she'd been able to hold it. Her melancholic thoughts did not appear too close to the surface, thankfully.

“Well, probably, but she's decided to take up the naginata!” The Hoshidan princess' smile looked far more natural while she gazed out east, her eyes focusing on some pinprick Nerr hadn't spotted. “Once I taught her how to hold it the  _ right _ way, she took to it like a fish to water. Takumi's teaching Sakura how to bend a yumi...” That joyful pride faded slowly, until her eyes were dark and unhappy. “It'd be great if we weren't all preparing for our death march.”

    “We'll have none of that, sister.” Ryouma had given up his fake smile a while ago, and in truth, he looked more approachable without it. Much like Xander, a stern, unyielding expression suited him. “Centuries of war and thousands of Nohrians didn't stop us.” She met his eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“One Nohrian and a band of cut-purses was all it took to stop our Father. A sword- a fucking  _ sword, Ryouma! _ \- was all it took to completely wipe out Hoshido's best defense.” Hinoka's breaths grew shaky. The young emperor took hold of both her shoulders, stilling them, though her hands continued trembling.

“Cowardly tactics by an underhanded fiend--”

“Do you think a god is going to play fair, Ryouma!? He isn't going to sit there and wait for us to take our turn! Why do you think Garon is working with him!?” He tightened his grip on her.

 “Our ancestors slew dragons, sister. With bronze and stone. For as powerful as they are, they are not gods. Unless you think Nerrida a god as well?” The Nohrian princess frowned.

“Why are you bringing me into this?”

“Because it's the truth.” He looked at her, eyes like shining stones. “It may be easy to forget, but you are the same breed of beast as the 'gods' that blessed our ancestors centuries ago. Do you not bleed? Can you not die?”

“You'd best end that train of thought now, before I end it for you.” In spite of the worrying direction the conversation had gone, the perfectly rational fear Hinoka had shown noticeably eased.

 “That's right... You get hurt all the time, Nerrida. Even though you're a dragon. ...I don't know why I keep assuming the Ancient Ones were invincible.” Ryouma smiled a bit, but Nerr did not share his relief.

“Because they were called 'gods' for a reason, Hinoka. I'm a dragon, yes, but I'm not like the creatures in history books. They were the size of continents. They created the mountains, the sea, they made the land fertile. Lilith can teleport- apparently, that's one of Anankos' abilities!” The blood drained from Hinoka's face.

“He can what?” She ignored her sister, shaking her head.

“I can't do anything like that. I'm just as weak and worthless as the lot of you. Even more so- I can't hold wyrmslayers! I'm allergic to the one thing that might actually hurt him!” Ryouma's eyes narrowed, his frown coming back full force.

    “Have you ever  _ tried _ to do any of those things?”

“Yes, I've had plenty of time to practice raising mountains.” She all but sneered.

“How, then, do you know you  _ can't _ do those things?” She wanted to yell, if for no reason than to shout that smug look off his face, but she bit her tongue. “How can you be weak when your blood is stronger than any of ours? How can you be worthless when the Yatogami chose you? During the First War, it was wielded by a hero. And it chose again to be wielded by a hero. Not Hinoka, not I, not Takumi for all his attempts.  _ You.” _

  “I'm not a fucking hero, Ryouma...”

“Not with that attitude, you're not. But you  _ could _ be. You could be the hero that rallied Nohr and Hoshido together against the Great Threat, the one who laid the groundwork for peace between our nations... if you could stop whining for five gods damned minutes. I swear, you're just as bad as Takumi. Except worse, because he's a child while you're an adult.” Nerr had been staring at her brother, almost in a daze as he spoke. He could captivate an audience, if nothing else. A fine quality for an emperor. But the spell was broken. She laughed bitterly.

 “And to think, for a moment there, I _almost_ stopped wanting to wring your neck.”

“Disdain me all you like, you vicious thing- it makes my words no less true. Anankos could easily be as weak as you. And you can easily be as strong as him, Nerrida.”

His words were inspiring.  _ He _ could have been inspiring, if he wasn't such an insufferable shit. Xander would not have managed to make her gnash her teeth with every attempt to encourage her. That was what Nerr told herself as she followed the sound of flowing water to the east. He would smile, and put his hand on her shoulder, and call her “little princess”, not “Nerrida”. He would demand she apologize when the other party was at fault. He would accuse her of killing one of his commanders just because she was the only non-Nohrian soldier on the field with them. Her steps slowed, until she finally came to a halt.

 “...what an insufferable shit...”

“Are you... speaking to me?” She gasped, choking on her breath. She had not seen Azura. The mist in the distance was white, but the songstress stood against a backdrop of gray stone and green trees, her pale clothes bright against them. Nerr shook her head quickly.

“No. Of course not. I didn't even see you. I was just... thinking about someone... else.”

“Do I... want to know?”

 “Probably not.” It was painful to hear her speak. Annoying as it could be in excess, there was no denying that Azura's voice was beautiful. The natural lilt was gone, stripped away with the hoarse whispers that seemed torn from her throat. “How's your voice?”

“How's your arm?” The singer snapped. Despite herself, Nerr smiled. It was weary, but earnest.

“Alright. I deserved that.” The other woman shook her head. The anger drained from her, leaving her to lean heavily on the battered spear in her hands, shoulders slumped.

“No. You didn't. I still... have a voice. It's horrible, and... I hate it... but I have it.”

    “You don't sound  _ that _ bad.” Azura fixed her with a disgusted glare and she acquiesced. “...fine, you sound awful. But since when does that stop people from singing? Can...  _ can _ you sing?” Those golden eyes shone wetly as she looked away, back out towards the distant mountains.

“I can say lyrics. My spell... relies on vocalization, not... that vocalization... sounding good.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. We all... must pay a price. Anankos can... rip my head off... as long as he breathes his last.” A half dozen remarks were already on her tongue.  _ And what if he doesn't breathe his last? How many heads other than yours will he rip off? Will you still be so brave when your neck is twisting round? _ She held them all back.

 “What a heroic thing to say. Perhaps you should be practicing to swing a sword instead. I have an old gilt one you can use.”

“The Yato... chose  _ you _ .” Azura frowned.

“That's  _ it's _ problem. The Rainbow Sage was full of shit when he forged the damn thing to be like a cat and choose the only person in the room ignoring it. A fancy sword isn't going to change a person's nature. No one ever fought for peace for peace's sake. Our ancestors wanted peace for  _ their _ lands, for  _ their _ people, just as we do. Xander wants peace for Nohr, and Shura wants peace for Kouga, and you...” She looked at the singer, the corners of her lips curling. “Well, you just hate Anankos. That's the purest reason any of us have.” The songstress looked taken aback. She opened her mouth- how would she argue that point? Lie and say she  _ didn't _ hate Anankos? Or add that she also wanted Hoshido to be safe and peaceful? Remaining silent for a moment, she parted her lips again.

    “What do... you want peace for, then?” The thought of peace immediately brought her to mind of the Northern Citadel. The last night she had spent there, surrounded by friends and loved ones, laughing and knowing that all was right in the world. She'd only asked one thing for that birthday,  _ Gods... please don't take this happiness away... _ Azura placed a hand on her wrist. “Nerr?”

“...for days that are long gone.”

“What?”

“I don't care about peace, Azura. I just want Anankos to die. I want him to  _ suffer, _ for what he's taken away from me, and everyone else.” She laughed bitterly. “Would that the Rainbow Sage could hear me now. How he'd regret his choice in heroes.”

 “I don't... think he would. I think he'd be... proud that you haven't given up.” She paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting Nerr's gaze head on. “ _I'm..._ proud that you haven't given up. I brought my war... to you, and haven't carried my fair share. ...I honestly expected... you to take Jakob and Sir Gunther and... leave us once you got back to Nohr.” _'I should have...'_ The words were on her tongue, but her lips were stayed by the smile, the gratitude, on the other woman's face. “But you didn't. You didn't brush off... my warnings, or call me crazy... For the first time since my mother died, I... haven't felt alone in the world.” Nerr's throat tightened. _\--if you died and left me all alone...?_

    “I--”  Azura brushed her off, sniffling a bit.

“Forget I said anything. I know... how pathetic that sounds. I just wanted to... let it off my chest in case I... truly  _ do _ lose my voice... in another battle.”

“It's not pathetic.” She whispered. “I wouldn't wish what you've been through on anyone. I'm sorry that I'm the first person who's listened to you. You deserve better than someone who spent two months plotting how to ditch you.”

“You  _ what?” _

“Don't act surprised. I didn't actually do it, that's what counts.” The singer's lips thinned as she stared at the other princess.

 “...you're like an... onigiri, Nerr.”

“A what?”

“A rice ball. Except instead of... being stuffed with pickled plums... you're stuffed with salt pork.” Nerr laughed.

“I thought you were going to say I'm stuffed with horse shit. Salt pork is delicious!”

“Salt pork... is fucking disgusting.” She hissed in a low voice. “Did you want... something from me?”

 “Yes, but now I just want to hear you bitch about salt pork.” Her good humor was not matched by Azura, and she reluctantly stopped laughing. She'd forgotten how good it felt, being able to put everything from her mind and just laugh. “I want to know more about your little spell. That song, your pendant- I want to know everything I can about Anankos, and this might be the first step.”

000

As needed as the rest was, every time the sun dipped below the distant mountains, Nerr's stomach dipped with it. Lilith assured her that time wasn't passing nearly as quickly as she thought it was. A week in the Astral Realms would only be a few days in Valla, and even less time in Nohr or Hoshido. The gods created these pockets of time to isolate themselves from humans. The thought of Anankos appearing behind her and trapping her in a bubble that would age her thousands of years in a few short months was enough to make her retch, but she kept that particular fear to herself. They all had far more to worry about without her dreadful “what ifs?”

 They sat around a crude map of Gyges' throne room, drawn from Lilith's memory. That was where they would find him- he'd slaughtered his people en masse for that throne, but would they fight him there? They could only hope, as it would provide the most even ground, tactically. Leo had set out carved pieces, nowhere near as elaborate as the ones they used in Nohr, but good enough for their purpose, simple figures to represent archers and infantry and calvary. The first thing Nerr did was sweep every calvary piece off the map, ignoring Leo's sputtering.

 “What will shock troops do against an insurmountable wall, other than crash into it and die?”

“A heavy calvary might--” Xander was cut off by Ryouma.

“Your calvary may have given you an edge in a pitched battle against my forces, Prince Xander, but you are not fighting Hoshidans. For the first time, you don't have the upper hand. You must stop thinking as if you do.” Hinoka glared at the map, boring holes into the torn and frayed parchment.

 “If we had the whole of our army, we could put all our might behind an aerial strike. Two hundred kinshi knights focusing their arrows would take down any leviathan.”

|And be vulnerable to archers themselves.| Lilith hovered beside Nerr, half hiding under her arm. Neither she nor anyone else would be quick to forget what she was, ignoring how useful she was to their cause. Azura in particular stood so tense that the tendons in her neck stuck out like iron rods. |He is sending waves of smallfolk at you now, just to wear you out. Should you get close enough, he has all of Valla's army at his disposal, with enough archers and mages to put Hoshido's forces to shame.|

    “Can't  _ you _ control some of them?” Selena spat the words out, her nose wrinkled, disgusted to even waste her breath on the small dragon. “You had no problem throwing them at us when we first came here, so just do that again and use them against Anankos.” Lilith turned her whole body to stare at the red-haired mercenary.

|...is it nice, that fantasy world you live in? Anankos allowed me to control his army because I was furthering his goal. The moment I hesitated in that, he stripped me of any and all power of authority. I can no more control his forces than you can control King Garon's. He affords people great power... but only until they   stop being useful. That is what he does...| Her eyes drooped shut, the pain evident in her voice, yet drawing pity from almost no one. Gunther squeezed between her and Nerr, adjusting the pieces in a manner similar to one Nerr had drawn a day or so earlier.

 “A hundred determined knights could hold a line against any force, god or no, but that many trained and blooded soldiers would be unavailable to us unless someone was willing to sneak back into Nohr and depose the current king.” He looked pointedly at Xander, who returned his gaze with hatred in his eyes. “No? What's one man when weighed against the fate of the world, my lord?”

“Everything.” Nerr elbowed the knight aside before fisticuffs broke out across their war table.

“We've already established that the Nohrian army is unavailable to us. Our best bet now would be mages. If Anankos is anything like me, melee weapons will have to get too close to be effective.” She sighed sadly. “If we had fifty Floras and fifty Felicias, they could just freeze his ears until he dies.”

    “We may not have a hundred of your maids, but we do have four mages right here,” Camilla noted, her voice unusually subdued. Her lips were no longer swollen, but there was a noticeable area of her scalp where the hair had been combed over. “And given that one of them is Leo, that counts for at least a good dozen.”

“Twenty mages and twenty longbow men from a vantage could bring down a vanguard. With ease.” Ryouma adjusted the figures, putting lines of triangles and circles behind a row of circles. “Anankos will send swarms of the undead to break our ranks, but a line of pike-men could at least deter them. The question is, can we even find that many people willing to fight in the midst of a war?” Shura, who had been waxing his bowstring rather than pay attention to their plans, laughed.

 “You can find a thousand men willing to pick up a lance if you're able to pay them. The real question is, _are you?”_ Xander stood a bit straighter.

“The word of the royal family should be enough. We are not known for reneging on our deals.”

“Should be, but isn't.” The pirate reminded him. “No one can take your word to a pot shop and get a meal, princeling.” The younger man bristled, and Nerr shot him a hard look to preemptively silence him.

 “You forget that you are no longer a prince of Nohr in the eyes of your father, brother. That crown on your head is worth less than mud now, and your promises with it. We're all traitors now.”

“So we're broke!?” Elise's face paled, and the sheer disgust on Leo's face spoke volumes.

“That's what you take away from this? Not the fact that traitors are  _ executed _ ?” The young girl frowned at him.

“Father won't execute us, idiot! We have no money! How will we buy things!?”

    “Elise has a point, little brother. We need money, not only to buy our would-be sellswords' services, but to outfit them with weapons, to buy food for them, for us...” Nerr's eyes slowly traveled to Ryouma. “...isn't Hoshido fairly wealthy? What with that abundance of resources you all have in the east? You could feed an army for a year and not even feel it, I'd bet.” She half expected him to argue, but the Hoshidan prince only frowned, more thoughtful than upset.

“We may have been wealthy once, but if King Garon is there, he's undoubtedly emptied our coffers and put half our land to the torch.”

“Not  _ every _ coffer.” They flinched, those that did not jump outright. Ever silent, Nerr was not sure how Kaze had ended up behind her when she knew that he had been somewhere on the other side of the table earlier. “There are plenty of places in Shirasagi hidden even to those that have lived there all their lives. If there is anything remaining, I could infiltrate the castle and smuggle it out.” Ryouma sighed, bracing his hands on the makeshift table, looking for all the world as though that were the only thing keeping him upright.

 “Stealing back our own coin... how could we have fallen so far...?” Xander placed a stout hand on the other man's shoulder.

“I assure you, milord, that provided we survive this whole ordeal, Nohr will see you paid back every coin taken.” Brown eyes glanced up, their half squint and the tightness behind his forced smile betraying the pain he felt.

“I appreciate the gesture, Prince Xander, but that will not be necessary. Nohr needs all the money it can get, and I daresay a bit of aid has been a long time coming.” He gave up his half-hearted attempt to conceal his misery. “Perhaps if we had been a bit more attentive to what was going on outside our borders all these decades past, things would not have culminated like they did. This reckoning has been a long time coming. Even if there were no Anankos, bitterness and desperation would come to a head eventually.” They all remained silent, even Takumi, though his jaw worked ceaselessly, chewing on the words he doubtless wanted to speak. Nerr rolled the hem of her blouse between her fingers, keeping her eyes down on those wooden chips.

    “So we'll get eyes on the ground to see what's going on in Hoshido first, and hopefully come away a bit richer than before, then we're to set out recruiters for sellswords and, if they haven't been overrun, what few Hoshidan duchies might still heed the call of their liege. Can you even  _ be _ a go-between for so long, Lilith?” The tiny dragon gnawed on her orb, the sound of teeth on what Nerr could only assume was glass raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

|Probably? This orb is, for all intents and purposes, a warp spell. It  _ was _ one of Anankos' powers, one that I inherited from him. I could go back and forth by myself without it, but the more people I have to bring with me, the more power it takes. As long as I'm only carrying one or two of you, I'll have no problem.|

 “B-but... we need more than one or two. We-we need an army.” Sakura whispered. Lilith sighed in all their heads.

|I know that, milady. But what I am capable of doing does not depend on what you need. Bringing this small group of you here was almost too much for me. To carry multiple groups of people from wherever,  _ to _ here, then  _ to _ Valla will be impossible... without help.| They looked at one another, at a loss. Magic was an incomprehensible art to Nerr, and she doubted the likes of Xander or Ryouma understood it any more than she did. Leo, thank the gods, was not nearly so ignorant as his siblings. 

“I have a stockpile of warp tomes back home, provided Iago didn't plunder them. I suppose you can bring me with you and I can help carry the load.”

    |I appreciate that, Lord Leo, but it isn't so simple. To go from Nohr or Hoshido to an Astral Realm, or even Valla, you may as well try to warp yourself to Elibe last week. There are only certain ways you can get to such places, and no men's magic is powerful enough. You would need a god's power for that.| Her eyes hardened as she turned towards the Nohrian retainers. |I  _ know _ what you have.|

“A god's power?” Hinoka asked doubtfully.

|They wish. They have another orb like mine. The one who brought them here gave it to them, I  _ saw _ it.|

“It's ours!” Odin raged, his face white in a potent mix of fury and fear. “That was payment! It's our only way home!”

 “You won't be going... anywhere when Anankos is... picking pieces of you out of his teeth.” Azura scowled at them. Selena ground her teeth so hard it was a miracle they didn't shatter, and even though Lazwald looked physically pained, he begrudgingly nodded.

“...you're right. We... were charged to help destroy Anankos. We must do everything in our power to accomplish that.”

“But--!” He shot a sharp glare at his fellow.

“We've already been given our payment, Odin! Have you forgotten that?” He looked back to Lilith, the anger in his eyes a simmer compare to the raging boil of the others. “You'll get it when it's time, beast. We don't have it on us- it's in Krakenburg, somewhere safe.” 

 It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something they could rally around. Once, Nerr would have been brimming with pride to stand beside her brothers and help them plan out an attack, but that was back when she thought they would be charging down Hoshidan infantry, not breaking against a wall of corpses some dark god piled before himself. Staring at that hastily drawn map as Leo packed away his pieces felt as if someone were tightening a steel band around her chest. Her stump itched, the bandages sticking to it as it healed. Thinking too hard on how many more limbs would be lost before they even reached the throne room, she didn't notice the presence behind her until it brushed against the back of her neck. Her whole body erupted in goose flesh as she whirled around, skin already lifting into hard plates by the time she noticed Shura. He drew his hands back, raising them in surrender.

    “Calm down, milady. I'm just trying to get your attention.”

“For what?” Her eyes narrowed, flesh growing soft and supple once more. “And since when is it 'milady' and not a derisive 'ladyship'?”

“When have I ever been derisive towards you? That was just a bit of lighthearted teasing.” His grin fell, his expression growing somber. “But if I gave offense, I apologize.” Nerr backed away, her lips twisting in distaste.

 “Your sorry hide hasn't apologized for anything since I picked you up. Who are you really? What do you want?”

“I want to go with Kaze to infiltrate Castle Shirasagi.” She gaped at him.

“You want to plunder  _ now _ of all times?! I know your ilk take advantage of chaos, but gods damn, man, there's a time for it!” Shura's eyes narrowed, the frown he wore making the lines around his lips more pronounced.

“Did I say shit about plundering? Trust me, if I wanted to steal from royals, I wouldn't alert them to my plans. That Saizou sprog fancies himself a shinobi, but I know the likes of him. Too honorable by half. He gets caught, he's gonna be slaughtered trying to fight fair. You want someone to steal for you, you gotta send in the right man for the job.”

“And that's you?”

“...it's  _ literally _ what I do for a living, princess. And it's the least I can do, considering how useless I've been all this time.” The bitterness in his voice took her by surprise.

 “You're no more useless than anyone else.” The pirate scoffed.

“High praise, indeed, milady. 'You're only  _ as _ useless as those miserable piles that let me get crushed'.”

“I never said that!”

“Well, you should have!” He snapped. “It's true, don't deny it. You should never have been allowed to even  _ get  _ in such a position. You could have died!” Nerr frowned, confusion building as she watched Shura pant, riled up for reasons she couldn't understand.

    “Why do you care? So long as Azura is alive, you won't be trapped in Valla... hopefully.” He shook his head, looking like a big, miserable dog.

“I already fucked everything up for her. I had a chance to do better. I had a chance to make up for my mistakes. It was all laid out before me; you were fighting to save Hoshido- and even if you didn't know it, Kouga. You lead me to my vengeance, for the first time in decades, I have hope for rebuilding my home...” Every word he spoke sounded more miserable than the last, and Nerr could only stare in confusion, looking around to see if anyone could help her understand what was happening. Somehow, they'd all vanished without her realizing, leaving her alone with the Kougan man.

“I haven't done anything for you but make promises I honestly had no way of keeping, Shura. You needn't feel guilty for not paying any perceived debt. I assure you, everything that's happened just sort of... fell into place.”

 “Exactly!” His eyes shone with an almost manic light. “What are the odds I'd have stumbled upon Kotaro on that killing field while he was distracted? What were the odds I'd have found him outside his little Mokushuujin stronghold? Shit, what kind of chance did I have of stumbling upon the one princess who wouldn't spit on a brigand in the Sevenfold Sanctuary of all places?”

“My siblings--”

“Would execute me without a second thought. Don't deny it. I'd heard that Prince Xander was skulking around that way. If I had run into him, my head would be on a pike, warning every other incoming ship. But I didn't. I ran into  _ you.” _ He laughed breathlessly. “That's gotta be the work of the gods. If that ain't fate, I don't know what is.” Nerr's arm burned as though a thousand ants were tearing her apart.

 “I don't believe in fate.”

“Neither did I,” Shura scoffed. “But I didn't believe islands could float in the sky or the dead could rise, either. You can believe what you want, milady.  _ I _ believe it's fate, and I believe it's my duty to serve you as faithfully as I can, in any way that I can.” He knelt before her, laying his bow before her as a knight might lay a sword. Jakob had knelt before her once, so many years ago, when they were still children, his hand over his heart the way Gunther taught him...

“I don't want another retainer.” She told him through gritted teeth, earning a laugh in response. There was that derision she had grown accustomed to.

    “No one cares what you want, princess.”  _ 'How very true...' _ “You're stuck with me now. I've no sword, so my bow shall have to serve you in valor and chivalry, and everything else those criminals swear when they're knighted.”

“How do you make something so valiant sound so insulting?”

“It's what I do.” He quipped, climbing to his feet, hanging his bow over his shoulder. All the mockery and humor left him when he looked at her again. “You don't want a replacement for that boy. I get that. But you need me, Lady Nerr. Your goody-two boots brother might be able to rally a few tribalists behind him. Might be that Nohrian princeling could band together a couple hedge knights desperate for an in towards a royal salary. But that's not going to fill your battlefield. You need piss-poor sods more desperate than smart, and shameful though it may be, that's the company I've been keeping these last thirty years. You ever hear of the Killcrazies?” She shook her head, and he laughed humorlessly, walking away. Without thinking, Nerr found herself following him.

“'Course you haven't. Who'd taint those virgin ears of yours with the horrors laying in wait outside your doorstep? They only get hired by the filthy rich, or completely desperate, because who else would associate with a name like that?  _ That's _ who you need, princess.”

 “And you know these 'Killcrazies'?”

“I know someone who knows where to find them.' She frowned up at him.

“If you know so many people, why couldn't you have put some of your plunder towards paying them to deal with Kotaro for you?” Shura chuckled, a wry grin tugging at his lips.

“I'm neither that rich nor desperate, milady.”

“No, I suppose one man isn't as grave a threat as the end of all life as we know it. After you and Kaze return from Shirasagi, we'll have to map out where all we can look for aid.”

    “I look forward to the opportunity to be useful. In any way.” He touched her shoulder, just laying the tips of his fingers on it. “I can't brew tea or nothin', but if you need someone to talk to...” He trailed off, looking away, almost sheepishly. Perhaps he expected her to fall onto him, weeping again. 

“Do you know any Hoshidan songs?” Any trace of embarrassment vanished, and he gave her a quizzical look.

“Considering where Kouga was, I'd say I do. Not that I give a fuck to remember any of 'em. Why?”

“I heard Azura humming a song. She said it was some Hoshidan song about a tailor.” She was supposed to teach her Lorelei's song, but it seemed a cruel joke to spring that on her now, and the songstress agreed.  _ After the war, perhaps... _ He grinned at her.

  “I know something like that. _Donna in kirei na kimono demo, Dou ga nakereba kirarenai~_ ” That wasn't the song Azura had hummed, not by half, but Nerr decided she liked it better. Shura's voice was deep and harsh, a pleasant rasp that she preferred to Azura's soprano any day.

“You have a lovely voice.” His cheeks flushed, but he looked quite pleased with himself.

“Heh. You flatter me, milady. If you ever get tired of that old badger and want a man who knows how to use his mouth, you know where to find me.” She scowled darkly at him.

“No. Thank you. What did you sing just now?” He didn't look put out in the least by her rejection, the sly glint never leaving his eyes.

 “You're a Hoshidan princess. Isn't it about high time you learned your mother tongue?” Yes. She needed to learn many things, some more pressing than others.

“I'd rather fuck a brier patch.” He laughed heartily.

“Can't say I blame you. That's just a sad song about a beautiful woman and a beautiful dress she made.”

 Nohr had many sad songs about beautiful women. _Ondine's Lament_ and _The Prideful Princess_ and _The Blue Lillies_... There were happy songs too, but they weren't as popular, nor as pretty. People liked sad stories, she mused as she tested the weight of the Yato while the others ate dinner. It pained her to deny Sakura's quiet request to join them. The campfires reminded her too much of her nightmares. Every stance she ran through felt incomplete, having to leave herself open as she did now. If they came up against anything wearing armor, she was fucked, no longer able to half-hand her blade. They'd sing no song about a one-armed soldier who was swarmed by the dead and torn apart. She should've stayed in the Citadel, and let her ghost join the others that lived in those crumbling walls. That was a song worthy of a princess.

She paused in bringing her sword down, lowering her arm. She hadn't noticed how badly her muscles burned and shook until then. She'd lost her edge and was wasting time thinking of songs. And yet, unbidden, Azura's old song came back into her mind, filling the space between her ears until she could not help but hum along with it. An uncommon song, a Vallite song created by Anankos gods only knew when, and yet so damn familiar she could  _ swear _ she remembered someone singing it during one of their Yule celebrations.

 “ _A burdened heart sinks into the ground. A veil falls away without a sound. Not day nor night, wrong nor right, for truth and peace you fight...”_ A sour taste rose in her mouth. “Ugh. Fuck right off with that, Anankos.” She'd prefer some bawdy drunk compose her ballad if that was what the gods had in store for her. Holding the Yato aloft, she frowned at it. How much blood had stained this blade since it's creation? How many of her ancestors had been cut down by it? Perhaps it had been forged to always be wielded by a sorry creature like herself, a vagabond with no kingdom to truly call his own, called to arms for a war he had no interest in fighting. It made her feel a little better to think that the Hero of legend everyone thought so highly of was as bumbling a fool as she was.

 Had he died for the Ancient Ones' whims? She should have asked the Rainbow Sage, but she had a feeling he wouldn't have told her. He seemed far too interested in making Anankos out to be a poor, sorry creature, trying to appeal to a sense of pity she didn't have, just like the foreigners. It was no wonder Gunther hated him. She probably wouldn't live long enough to get the measure of men as well as him. She was lucky she had someone older and wiser to tell her the truths she couldn't see for herself. _Run. Hide. Anything but charge into a dragon's gaping maw..._

 “ _A hand reaches through, a double-edged blade cuts your heart in two..._ ” She moved into a roof guard, wishing she had another hand to place on her pommel. The Yato felt so much heavier than usual, and a bit more balance would have done wonders for her form. Pivoting, she brought her blade down, fingers burning around the awkward grip.

    “You should be resting, Nerr.” She swore, sheathing her blade with more difficulty than she should have had and turning back round.

“Where did you come from, Gunther?”

“Over there.” He pointed to a patch of spindly trees, similar to the ones that grew near the Chasm on Nohr's side. “I was mentally correcting your form.”

“You should have come over and actually done so. Maybe I wouldn't feel like such a waste of a sword if you had.” She flexed her wrist, cracking the joints. She used to be able to swing a sword for hours without tiring... “Why aren't you eating with the others?”

 “Eat with that lynch mob without you as a buffer? I'd sooner take my chances walking into the sea in full armor.” Nerr frowned at the older man.

“You're bringing their hate on yourself, you know. How could you even  _ suggest _ Xander kill his father?”

“He has no problem killing anyone else- why should this bother him so? Unarmed, injured Hoshidans, Chevois civilians; he was willing to cut his precious 'little princess' in twain to follow his father's orders.” She tried not to think about that. She truly did, but even now, she could feel her armor denting under the force of her brother's strikes, her old steel no match for the holy blade he carried.

 “He puts his king, his family, and his country above all else. We all know that.” Gunther's lip curled into a sneer.

“A valiant man, willing to watch his family and kingdom burn in service to a creature such as that. If only we could all follow that  _ shining example. _ ”

“That's not-! He doesn't-!” Nerr sighed, reaching up to rub her temples as best she could with only one hand. “Why do you say these things, Gunther? You never used to say horrible things like this.” The old knight lowered her hand, gently rubbing circles at her hairline, his voice as soft as his touch.

    “I used to be afraid that your beloved brother would have me drawn and quartered in Windmire's square if I ever said anything to you that he didn't like, my lady. That's what they do. It's what they've  _ always _ done, and will always do.” She shook her head, brushing away his hands.

“Xander wouldn't.”

“Xander is a jealous cockwomble who would hang me in a heartbeat, and your little trash pirate, too. Just you wait, Nerr. See if I'm not right.” She flinched, taken aback by just how harsh and cold his voice had become. Gunther too seemed surprised by the force of his words. “Gods... Forgive me, Nerr. I didn't mean--”

“'Cockwomble'? Trash pirate?” The shock had faded, and she found herself unable and unwilling to hide her growing smirk. “Methinks the only jealous one here is  _ you, _ Gunther.” He did not smile or tease her with her own old jealousy as she thought- as she hoped- he might. His expression remained as stolid and unreadable as it had for years prior.

 “ 'Jealous'? Of _what?_ Your _brother?_ Some Kougan offal who should have died right along with the rest of his mongrel people?” She wished he would go back to being cold and angry again. The dull, nonchalance of his voice made every word sharper and more unpleasant to hear. “Why would I be jealous of that, Nerr? You wouldn't run off with some pox-ridden pirate who's too big for his boots, now would you?”

“Of course not!” He smiled.

“ _ Of course not. _ My ladyship stays true to her word, doesn't she? She loves me, doesn't she? Isn't that what she said?” Nerr nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She traced over the prongs of the Yato. Even at her hip, it weighed more than she was used to. “You should go eat something, my lady. Your arm was shaking when you held guards; you clearly need to build your strength back up.” She was hungry, true, but her stomach felt like it was full of snakes, writhing and twisting. Groaning, she covered her mouth.

 “I'd rather not. I think I'm just tired.”

“In that case, rest. You won't have much longer to do so.” Nerr looked up at him. The night in the Astral Plane wasn't nearly so dark as Nohrs', but everything still blended together. She was losing her night eyes. Any longer, and she wouldn't be able to return to Nohr regardless of how the battle against Anankos fared.

“Come with me?” She asked quietly. “Since you have nothing better to do than skulk in the shadows.” A thin smile creased Gunther's eyes.

“Afraid of hobgoblins sneaking up as you doze?” 

“Considering all the years you spent filling my head with stories of all the dead things that would drag me down to hell with them, it should be perfectly understandable that I'd worry about such things.” The old knight laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her back to their cave.

“I told tall tales to get you to stop roaming the Citadel's halls at night. And you weren't even scared of them back then. I remember you and that Silas boy patrolling with your little toy swords, looking for ghosts to 'beat up'.”

“I didn't know ghosts were real back then. I didn't know that if I got hurt, there was a possibility that I wouldn't get better. I didn't know how scary everything outside the bailey was.” She balled her hand into a tight fist, cutting her palms with her ragged nails. “If I'd known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have even wanted to leave. Nothing would have changed. Jakob would still be alive. Lilith would still be a human. Flora and Felicia would still be around. No one's life would be in my hands.” Gunther's fingers tightened on her shoulder, digging into her skin.

 

“You'd still be under Garon's thumb. We always think we're safe at home, Nerr, but that simply isn't true. Especially not so long as that monster is alive. He'd get tired of you eventually and do  _ something _ to destroy your happy life.” He stopped, moving in front of her, lifting her chin to look at him. “We'll find a new home. A better home. Maybe a castle, one that we can fill with the laughter and footsteps of children.” 

There was a hopefulness in his eyes that Nerr had never seen before. It was so unusual that she couldn't figure out how to ask after it until they'd returned to their makeshift home, the pinpricks of stars twinkling through the cracks in the stone. Just like the stars she used to stare at on the Citadel's roof, her eyes surely shining with her own hopes. She found her voice, though still considered her words carefully.

 “Do you want children, Gunther?”

“Of course.” He responded so quickly, so naturally. He'd already laid down, staring at the back of her head. “Being a father was the only thing I'd ever enjoyed in my life.” A thin smile tugged at her lips as she laid beside him, her head on his shoulder.

“I can't imagine you as a father.”

“Am I that horrible?” She thought back to the Citadel, the way he barked orders at Jakob and Flora and Felicia, and even her in the training yard. He could be hard, even cold at times... but never unreasonably so. Never to the point of making her feel worthless as Garon would. Not back then.

 “No. I just can't see you as a young man, elbow deep in dirty diapers.” He pulled her closer.

“A few more years, and any potential children of mine will be dealing with  _ my _ diapers.” She couldn't keep herself from laughing.

“You're not  _ that _ old...”

“Old enough.” Despite his own smile, there was a pervasive melancholy in his voice and in his eyes. “By now, I thought my children would have their own children. Some of them would have left Žaložnica, gone to the cities where there was work, maybe even traveled all the way to Windmire and found work in the castle... but they would have come back home eventually, and brought their wives and husbands and children for Michaella and I to meet...”

A small part of Nerr felt that she shouldn't be there, that she was somehow listening in on something that wasn't meant for her ears. But surely he was speaking to her.

 “You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?” She asked in a small voice.

“All I  _ can _ do is think about it, Nerr. What else could I do while I waited to die alone? I've had nearly forty years to think about what could have been. What  _ should _ have been. ...what  _ was _ .” He turned to face her, his eyes gleaming in the faint slivers of light. “We were so young, Michaela and I. Only a few years older than you. So young, and so stupid. I never thought things like that could happen to people like us. Decades later, and I still have nightmares about it. They killed my boy.” He blinked, tears dripping into her hair. “He was so little... and Garon took him from me, took away the only good thing that ever came from me. I couldn't even recognize him, only that he was still where he'd been playing when I left.”

 “Gunther, I...” Her words died on her lips. What could she say? He'd made it clear that he didn't want her pity. He spared her the panicked frenzy of trying to figure out what could be comforting without unwittingly coming across as patronizing, rolling over to face her fully. He gripped her arm, almost too tight.

“I was young, and weak, and stupid then. So stupid. He gut her like a fish. He crushed my boy. Burned them to dust, burned  _ everything  _ until there was nothing left but me.” His hold on her had been growing tighter still, fingers biting into her flesh until even she couldn't ignore the pain, wincing. He didn't notice, a manic light in his eyes as he stared into hers. “I wouldn't let that happen again. I'd  _ die _ before I'd let anyone take you away. I can protect you. I can be a good father.” Nerr reached up to stroke his hair, drawing him into a hug.

 “I know that. You don't have to worry; I'm not going to go and die on you like Michelle...”

“Michaela--”

“Shhh, shhh, it doesn't matter...”  _ 'She's dead now.' _ Slowly, his tears slowed, though he kept his death grip on her arm. She was certain she'd have a bruise in the morning, but it felt nice to be the one clung to for once, instead of the one doing the clinging.

Even with the thought of burning homes and charred flesh creeping around her mind, the feeling of being strong and dependable was so intoxicating that she focused on it to the exclusion of everything else, even the hand running up her thigh.  _ 'I can be just as good as that dumb bitch Madison. I won't die...' _ She swallowed the bile that gathering in the back of her throat. Her gaze drifted to another crack in the cave, the stars brighter now than they had been earlier.

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A/N- Sometimes, everything I want to say just goes on forever, and it feels like I'll never finish a chapter. I got so burnt out on this fic, and it was only the inspiration of multiple non-FE properties that gave me strength to keep writing. Also, have I mentioned that I hate how hard it is to upload to AO3?


	24. Layers on Layers

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Ch.24- “Layers on Layers”

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Kaze

0-0-0-0

The sun shone bright in this strange place, tricking his mind into believing he was back in Hoshido. He squinted against the sun standing high above the mountains. He'd never needed to squint before, but months of inky blacks and misty greys left his eyes sensitive. Nerr-sama had often shielded her eyes in Hoshido, just as Azura-sama had before her, years ago. It would not be so bright in Shirasagi, thankfully. The sun rarely set in the east, but it was dimmer in the night and early morning. That would make things easier, hopefully. The Nohrians' eyes may have been better suited for darkness, but a shinobi could hide from even the keenest gaze.  Kaze dressed with that in mind, turning his tunic inside out so the dark gray lining showed. 

His scarf remained on the ground, the deep purple now more of an off-putting brown, but still too bright.  He could have dyed it, but purple had been the color of his mother's clan, and she had worn a capelet of a similar shade before she passed.  _ We drop like flies in service to our emperor, and we are grateful for it... _ It had been Kagerous' brother who said that, but in his mind, Kaze heard the words in his fathers' voice, his brothers', his mothers'. Sheathing another kunai around his thigh, he pressed his hands flat against the well-worn leather pouches there to still them. His preparations were done. A ninja traveled light, only carrying what he would need to escape a fight or, if the worst came to pass, take his own life before it fell into the hands of an enemy. A quick glance at his companion was proof enough that, regardless of his illustrious clan, the self-named Shura no longer considered himself a ninja. Ropes, skeleton keys, daggers, even a festal hung from his belt. Who even knew else what lay hidden beneath his ragged cloak? Beetle black eyes met his, coupled with an insolent smirk. 

    “You took your sweet time. Polishing your dagger one last time before we head into this demon's den?” Perhaps another man would have taken the bait, gotten flustered and denied it much too fervently, but Kaze's mind was on other things. 

“I was preparing. Meditating.” Ryouma-sama oft meditated, a trait learned from the late emperor. Saizou had little patience for such things, but he understood the merits of a clear mind. Shura did not, scoffing. 

“You'll have plenty of time to find your center when you're dead, boy. We should've been in Shirasagi hours ago, when it was still night.” Time did not flow in this Astral Realm as it did in other kingdoms. It was much like Valla in that respect, Lady Nerr had told them. The weeks they spent here were only days in Nohr and Hoshido, the hours mere seconds, so knowing what time it would be when they crossed the threshold was more guesswork than anything exact. Lilith, that strange creature, assured them that, while she could not pin it down to the minute, that it would be early morning when she took them back to their own plane. 

“People expect attacks to occur at night, thus there would be more soldiers on alert. No one expects to be accosted in the middle of the day, be they Nohrian or Hoshidan.” The pirate only grumbled under his breath. Saizou would have continued pushing, but Kaze was adept in biting his tongue. There would be plenty of enemies around him, no matter where he went or what he did. He didn't need one at his side. Most everyone was gathered around the campfires, preparing and eating lunch. The only two that would see them off were Ryouma-sama and Nerr-sama. That made him feel better. A person or two issuing orders was a mission- a group all saying their goodbyes was a funeral. The emperor's mouth was set in a hard line, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked so much like his father that Kaze could not tell if it was intentional or not.

“If there are Nohrians in the castle and you are seen by them, do everything in your power to escape without fatalities. Any deaths you cause will be laid at the feet of the servants and soldiers who haven't already been put to the sword.” Kaze went down to one knee, his head bowed. 

“Of course, Ryouma-sama.” Shura remained standing, staunchly refusing to so much as glance at the samurai, his gaze held firmly on Lady Nerr. Her hair was loose, and without armor, she looked so small and young, just like... Kaze quickly returned his gaze to the dirt, where it belonged. 

“...just don't die.” Was her only order, issued in a soft whisper. Mikoto-sama had given him that same order more times than he could count, her gentle smile always tinged with sadness. It was only when the princess spoke that Shura knelt, inclining his head as well. 

“I've got no intention of dying, milady, but if we don't return in a day, all I can say is cut your losses.” Her hand twisted in the hem of her tunic. 

“Let us hope it doesn't come to that. May the gods protect you.” Kaze would have climbed to his feet then, but his companion was proving to be quite the staller, despite his earlier complaints about the time they were losing. 

“No disrespect intended, milady, but there's a god not a foot from me. Instead of praying to ghosts, maybe  _ you _ could grant us some divine protection or something?” 

The green-haired ninja could not keep himself from glaring at the older man, clenching his jaw until the pain shot up to his temples to keep from saying something he might soon regret. The look of barely restrained disgust on Lady Nerrs' face was completely expected, and a tiny part of him was hedging on the thought that she might strike the impudent Kougan before she left, but somehow, the disgust vanished, leaving only dejection in its wake. Yet still, she did not turn and drag her feet. No, she instead laid her hand atop Shura's dingy curls.

    “No harm shall befall you. You shall return, whole and unscathed and successful. As I will it, so it must be.” She slid her hand away, bending slightly to press a kiss to his crown. His eyes widened, but before he could eek out a response, she had moved to Kaze, repeating her decree. Her hand felt like lead pressing into his skull, and when her lips touched his scalp, it was as though he had been kissed by ice. “Rise, men. Rise and go forth and bring me news and gold.” His legs were stiff, but somehow he got his feet under him. Shura was slower to stand, what parts of his neck not hidden by his cloak or scarf darkly flushed. 

“...I was just making a jape of you, princess. I didn't-- I mean, I ain't complaining. Maybe with a  _ real _ god on my side, I'll actually have a bit of luck this time.” 

“ _ Go.” _ Her voice was more weary than annoyed. It was uncertain where the small dragon had been lurking, but she appeared from behind them at her lieges' word. 

|From what I've seen, there's a wood a few miles out from the castle. That's where I'll be leaving you, gentlemen.| That was all the warning they got before the ground beneath them grew brighter than the mid-day sun above them. The solid ground vanished for a heart's beat, reminding him of falling into the Chasm, but just as soon as he noticed it, he was standing once again, though the earth seemed to sway violently. 

There were trees close by on every side, a blessing as Kaze stumbled into one, leaning on it heavily as he regained his balance. His ears rang something fierce, but waiting for that to pass was no task. Somehow, just being back on Hoshidan soil soothed both his spinning head and his heart. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the familiarly balmy air. Further north, the world was caked in snow, but Shirasagi was in a perpetual spring. After months of cold and damp, he could weep in relief for the warmth. A sharp slap to the back of the head snapped him from his revere. Shura had taken his bow in hand and scowled at him.

    “When you're done feelin' up that tree, we need to get a move on.” He was not wrong, but Kaze was in no mood to admit that. The sharp tinnitus in his ears had dulled to a barely there buzz, low enough for him to hear birds up above their heads. His pulling out a kunai was all it took for Shura to start moving, but Kaze held him back by his cloak, earning a sneer. “What's your damage, boy?” 

“Your behavior towards Nerr-sama was utterly unacceptable.” 

“...are you serious?” With a scoff, he attempted to leave again, but Kaze was not so weak as his slight frame would lead one to believe. 

“If you show such blatant disrespect to her face, how will you act when she cannot see you?” Scowling deeply, the older man snatched his cloak back. 

“I was making a fucking joke, boy. I fully expected her to spit on me and call  _ that _ a blessing. Clearly she didn't take as much offense to it as you did, so it wasn't a problem.” Not a problem? A shinobi did not jape with their liege. The very idea was incorrigible to him. Kagerou, his brother... they would never... He adjusted his grip on the kunai, his hands already beginning to sweat under his gloves. 

“That a member of the fabled Ashyura clan could be so flip... disgraceful.” He didn't even notice that the other man had turned until a large hand grabbed his jaw, the smell of old leather covering the heady woodland smell.

    “Don't you presume to say shit about my clan, boy. I was a shinobi before you were a stirring in your father's sack.” Be that as it may, Kaze still had a great many things he could say about the other man's clan, but remembering that there was a long day, and an even longer mission ahead of him, he simply lowered his gaze. 

“My apologies.” He lied, though well enough that Shura released him. His jaw ached- it would be bruised in hours, but he did not so much as wince. They were on the far side of the lake, mountains that hid the closest village to the north of them. 

Following those mountains could take them back to the chasm if need be, a trail most Nohrians and even brigands would be reluctant to follow, but it would take days. Hopefully, Lilith would arrive to rescue them if their situation worsened. She could see beyond planes, or so she claimed, but he was wary of the beast. Vallites and Nohrians were on the same side of the coin, so far as he was concerned. And while some had to be good people, he trusted them not. Nohrians were an honorless people who would slaughter a man as his children watched for coin. He tried not to think- he needed his mind clear in case trouble reared its ugly head, but it was too quiet as they made their way through the woods. A ninja was silent as the shadows they moved in, and his feet made no sound as he padded across the leafy carpet. Despite his heavy boots, neither did Shura's. It was as much a blessing as a curse. 

Every time he was sent by a royal to fulfill some seemingly inane task, he ruined everything so spectacularly, it had to have been some kind of curse. Saizou the fourth would have a clear, calm mind, thinking of his mission and nothing else. Saizou the fifth would never doubt himself, not even for a moment. ...but he was Saizou the sixth, unworthy of that name and the responsibility that came with it. His father and brother were dead, and he was left to take on their mantle.

    “Hey.” He nearly ran into Shura, who had stopped in front of him. Kaze stiffened, eyes darting between the trees. 

“Did you hear something?” 

“Yeah, you mumbling under your breath. You look like you're about to be sick.” 

“I'm fine.” The pirate wasn't convinced. He smirked, but there was nothing amused in his eyes. 

“I'm guessin' this is the first time you've been sent to steal anything that's not information. It must stick in that honorable craw of yours to be reduced to nothing more than a common thief.” Kaze inhaled deeply, stepping around the other man. 

“I am not  _ stealing _ anything. Whatever gold we find belongs to the Hoshidan royal family. I am retrieving it for them.” 

“If the Nohrians are there- and I have no reason to assume they're not- it belongs to them now.” He fell in step beside Kaze. “I get it; you're the second son, you didn't have any great responsibilities, your family spent more time training and teaching your brother. So I'm going to give you the lesson he got.” He turned the younger man to face him directly. “You're a thief, boy. You steal and you kill people. The only difference between you and the cut-purses in the gutter is that you do it for a wealthy family that saw fit to give you a title. The sooner you realize that honor has no place outside of courting noble ladies, the sooner that pit in your stomach goes away.”

He knew nothing. He thought he was helping, dispensing sage advice only a blackguard could understand, but his words were wind. Kaze knew he should not poke a drowsing bear, but the words were burning his tongue. 

“Are those the words of the Ashyura clan? Is that what your father taught you?” Shura's jaw tightened, but he made no move towards the other man. 

“Yes. That was his final lesson to me. My father was an honorable man who, rather than creep into Mokushuu one night and slit that dog Kotaro's throat while he slept, waited for the emperor to deem our people worth saving. I went to Shirasagi, thinking there would be honorable men there who would rain fury upon those monsters, and all I found were cowards. There is no honor among thieves, and far less among shinobi. Entire clans are wiped out, and we don't so much as bat an eye. Surely you were taught  _ that _ at least.” 

He had been. The Saizou clan served the royal family of Hoshido, their blades in the dark. Nothing was so important as their leiges' orders and honor, not their lives, not their families' lives, nothing. There had been pride in his father's voice when he said those words. He must have been filled with the same pride when Kotaro cut him down as he fulfilled some unknown mission for a long dead king. Bile burned in his throat.

“I regret what happened to Kouga, Shura-san. But do not drag me down to your level. Regardless of what I am tasked to do, I will do so with honor. I would be more than a cutpurse.” To his surprise, the pirate did not bristle at his words. He stared at him in silence, then began walking once again. 

“You're a better man than your father, then.” The almost factual nonchalance in his voice cut deeper than any sneer ever could. He could not stop himself speaking. 

“Did-- Did you know my father?” The older man's lips turned down into a deep scowl. 

“I was already in Nohr when your old man was turned into a shuriken target.” Kaze averted his gaze. Of course- the sack of Kouga did happen years before he'd even been born. Shura continued talking. “I saw him, though. A few times. I went up to Shirasagi with my father, once, to see Sumeragi about some shit he wanted across the border. Saizou the fourth was standin' there with him. He was always standing with his emperor, like a good guard dog. Didn't look nothing like you, that's pretty much all I can say.” Of course not. His father had dark red hair and fierce eyes, like his brother.

    “You said you saw him more than once.” 

“Yeah. Other time I remember was after Kotaro burned my home to the ground. He was standing there when I threw myself at the emperor's feet in the middle of town square and begged for his help. For all his faults, at least Sumeragi  _ looked _ at me when he told me to fuck off.” A dark, cold thought crossed Kaze's mind, unbidden and unwelcome. It was oft said that one reaped what they sowed, and though they would never say such to royalty, surely it held just as true for them as the smallfolk. Could some bored god be so cruel as to stay him from taking action to save his liege to teach a lesson? No, of course not. He was being ridiculous. The horrors of that day could only be laid at his and King Garon's feet. The air that night had been thick with the smell of blood, blood and smoke... Smoke? 

“Do you smell that?” Shura frowned, looking about with a puzzled expression. 

“...campfires.” It was faint, but there. For a horrible moment, Kaze thought that might be the smell of the city on fire, but he had smelled a burning city. That air had been thick with dust and the oily, sweet smell of burning flesh woven throughout the smoke. This was just burning wood. Shura pulled an arrow from his quiver. “Let's hope whoever we find is too tired and drunk to give us any trouble.” 

000

Nohrian armor wasn't as heavy as he assumed. That had been the main thought running through Kaze's head as they made their way to the castle. He'd always thought it was unwieldy and uncomfortable, but aside from the way the cuirass dug into his shoulders, it wasn't much worse than than a dou. Most of the discomfort probably came from it being too small. They'd had to take what they could find, as quickly as they could find it, and the soldiers patrolling the border of Shiragsagi's square had been young and small and easily overpowered. The one he'd stripped had been younger than him, probably closer to Takumi-sama's age, just a boy, and so far from home. 

It was difficult to feel sympathy for any Nohrian soldier, though, when they were the reason so many Hoshidans were far from home. Most had fled the city when news of Garon's arrival came. Some probably fled further north, towards the mountains, though it was doubtful they'd find any hospitality from the Flame Tribe, but the old and the very young and the sick couldn't travel that far, and had taken refuge in the forest. With their ramshackle lean-tos and campfires that gave off more smoke than heat, they'd have been easy targets had anyone cared to go after them. 

Kaze had grown up hearing tell of how the Nohrians would sack Shirasagi if they invaded. From Sumeragi's own lips, he'd been taught that they would burn homes and fields, poison wells, and put every man, woman and child to the sword. Despite his bravado in the public eye, behind closed doors, the emperor knew Garon had the manpower to win the war, and thus swallowed his pride and tried to broker for peace, to save his people the horror that would await them. It seemed almost comically unnecessary when Kaze looked back on it. Most of the destruction in the square looked to be from that initial attack months ago, long before any Nohrian set foot in Hoshido. Despite the knights patrolling the streets, there were no more scenes of horror than what he remembered.

Ruins of statues and buildings lay where they had when he left to join Sakura-sama at Fort Jinya. Rats darted through the rubble, and there were more than a few mangy dogs poking around what remained of various stalls, but no soldiers murdering children or raping women in the streets. Every few steps, he found himself looking down, expecting to see the cracked paving stones dyed red, but no. They were just as gray as they'd been when the dust began to settle. More than once, Shura would jab him in the arm hard enough to leave a bruise, reminding him to stop being so suspicious. There were precious few shadows to hide them in the heart of Hoshido, but a skilled shinobi was adept at hiding in plain sight. Regardless of his personality defects, Kaze could not deny that the other man was a ninja down to his bones in that regard. If he didn't know any better, it would have been easy to forget it  _ wasn't _   a Nohrian soldier walking beside him. Shura somehow tucked his wild mane away under that helmet so completely, it was as though he had changed faces. 

“I've been pretending to be a Nohrian soldier for over a decade,” was his only explanation. It was a blessing, quite literally in disguise. Shura's nonchalance seemed to cast an aura over him as well, making the actual Nohrians' eyes slide away from him, despite him constantly scanning the area for heads on pikes. He found them when they finally reached the castle. Stinking to high hell and swarming with flies, they must have been up for a good few weeks. Had it been summer, it would have only taken days for the skin to turn green and slough off. Did he know any of the faces that stood vigil around the castle's perimeter? He'd never been on a first name basis with the guards, but he'd seen them enough to think that he would recognize them had their hair not fallen out and their eyes not glossed over a sickly gray. He tried to walk past them quickly, but an iron grip on his shoulder stopped him.

    “We're not waltzing in through the front door, idiot. There has to be a side entrance.” Kaze mentally slapped himself for not noticing the sentries posted along the stairway, eight soldiers armed with lances taller than they were. It was so easy to ignore them, with his eyes constantly sliding back to the black, buzzing clouds. 

“Follow me.” His father had once told him that one of the early emperors of Hoshido must have been a ninja to have constructed such a winding maze of a castle. It was the closest thing to a joke the fourth Saizou had ever made, but there were more than a few grains of truth in that quip. Despite their bloodline having lived in the same place for well over three hundred years, the royal family only knew about a third of the secret passageways and corridors their home contained. He could only imagine that the sprawling hive of Krakenburg was even worse. One of the passages, known only to the emperor and his retainers, was where Kaze was currently headed. Mikoto-sama had shown it to him, in case he ever needed to help her children evacuate. It was knowledge he should not have, especially for so unsavory a task. Shura gave a low, soft whistle as he dug his nails into near seamless plaster, pulling a hidden panel out half an inch.  

“I could've passed that wall a hundred times, and not noticed anything. That's damn good construction.” Kaze couldn't stop the sinking feeling in his gut that he'd somehow lead a fox right to the door of a henhouse, but there were more pressing things to worry about now than petty theft. The panel slid on hinges so caked in rust that he was certain one snapped as he tried to open it. The newly revealed entrance was only a foot or so wide, leading into a damp, musty darkness. Their armor had to be left behind if there was to be any hope of them fitting, the steel plates tossed under bushes.  Shura gave a mock bow. “After you.” Kaze pulled out his kunai, flexing his fingers around the grip.

    “This passage leads to one of the back halls. It's rarely traveled by anyone but the servants, but I expect the Nohrians to have every inch they can find guarded.” The other man didn't deign to draw a weapon. 

“Then we'll just have to make sure they don't see us. We're here for the money, not to single-handedly overthrow Garon.” Yes, that was right. Theirs was a greater purpose than chasing Nohrians out of the royal familys' ancestral home. Kaze held his breath as he slid inside, trying to clear away the thick nets of spiderwebs without kicking up too much dust. A sneeze could spell the end of him. Once he was in far enough, Shura followed, awkwardly closing the passage behind him and throwing them in complete darkness. The tight squeeze was a blessing here, ensuring that they could not take a wrong turn or fall should their feet catch on an uneven floorboard. 

Several times, they had to stop as muffled voices reached them through the plaster, occasionally growing louder as some unseen soldier walked past them unawares. Plaster and wooden beams were all that separated them from the Nohrians, and in some places, holes had been punched into the walls where any keen-eared guard could peek in and catch a glimpse of something moving in the shadows. Kaze did his best to avoid any crack where a sliver of light shone through, but the further they went, the less cover they were given. There were dents that gave them even less room to squeeze  through, the support beams even cracked in some places. He tried to tell himself that some fat knight had tried to lean against the wall and broke it, and continued telling himself that even as he squirmed past a cut the length of a Nohrian ax right at neck level.

A shallow cut, someone overextending their swing; those axes could part a man's head from his shoulders as if it were nothing more than paper. Garon's had, at any rate. He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a minute to collect his thoughts. Shura stepped on his heel, but he chalked that up to the pitch black around their feet. He could mentally see the layout of the castle in his mind, and after a few seconds of thinking, began the nerve wracking process of turning to face the other direction. Even with as narrow a gap as this, Kaze was limber enough to maneuver (Kagerou had always lamented having trouble with tight fits even when she bound her chest). The problem was that every shuffle, every brush against any surface, might rouse suspicion if it was heard. Shrua's hand came out, grabbing his neck and halting him. 

__ _ “What are you doing? Don't tell me we went the wrong way.” _ His voice was less than a whisper, and even that was too loud. 

    “ _There's another passageway coming up. I need to open it.”_ The hand released him, and he continued turning, pausing every other second to hold his breath and listen. There were footsteps, but they were coming from above. Garon had probably supplanted himself as emperor and taken up residence in the highest floors. Fortunately, they would not need to go up quite so high.

Several floors just beneath the throne room held many of Hoshido's most priceless artifacts, but those were worthless- no mercenary would accept payment in art or literature. The cold, hard coin was below that. Finally facing the other wall, Kaze felt his heart beat faster, painfully aware that he would not be able to see any incoming attack until it was too late. In order to calm his almost frantic pulse, he told himself that Shura would still be able to cover him, trying far too hard to also convince himself that believed that was true. He had to run his hands over the back of the panel, wincing as large splinters pierced his gloves. For a moment, he was worried he had passed the passage, but the tips of his fingers soon found a gap in the wall that was unlike the other dips. He pushed against the plaster, stopping as it scraped far too loudly. There were no footsteps, no voices... he continued pushing, until light filled the crawlspace. 

Stepping through the gap, he allowed his shoulders to slump a bit, finally having a bit of space to stretch. The adjacent corridor was only about three feet across, but that was practically a hallway compared to the crawlspace they'd just left. Shura crept out behind him, looking around with a frown creasing his brows. 

“This is pretty open. Are you sure we should be here?” 

“These are servant passages that are just as well hidden as the one we came from. We have to go upstairs.” His voice was calm, but in truth, there was no guarantee they would remain unseen. He was not afraid of being discovered by the Nohrians, though. He kept his kunai out, mentally counting the steps they took and which halls they corresponded to. There were several flights of stairs, all tucked away in strange corners, so tight a squeeze that they had to turn sideways to climb them, some of the steps themselves loose enough to throw them off balance, some creaking so loudly that Kaze felt his heart stop more than once as they froze and prayed any unseen soldiers would assume that any sounds were simply ambience in such an old castle.

There were small hiding spots and miniature keeps hidden all over the castle, many forgotten after generations. Shura found several as they continued their ascent, many that Kaze himself hadn't even noticed, nooks and crannies he pulled gold chains and pendants of jade and pearls from. Disgust darkened his gaze until he noticed the younger man looking at him, when he quickly rearranged his scowl into a mocking grin. 

“These'll fetch a pretty penny, don't you agree?” 

“Yes.” Kaze acquiesced. “I doubt Hinoka-sama or Sakura-sama will miss a few necklaces.” The smallfolk would consider themselves lucky if they had a single heirloom that had escaped being sold or stolen during the centuries of war that ravaged the land... 

The top of the stairs, which barely constituted a landing, led to a tiny door that would have lead to one of the rooms used for entertaining guests. He ignored it, instead reaching up and pushing against one of the floorboards, a perilous task when he had less than six inches of space to balance on. He managed to move the board and slide it aside, revealing another crawlspace. 

“Give me a boost.” He told Shura. The older man frowned at the ceiling, then at him. 

“The walls were one thing; you really think the Nohrian army won't notice us right under their boots?” His nose wrinkled. Kaze told himself the sour, musty stench that wafted down came from some long dead rat. 

“People notice what they want to notice; surely you more than most understand that. They expect rats to be under the floorboards, not people.” 

“In Nohr, you'd find both.”

In spite of his clear doubts, Shura linked his fingers together, forming a small step that gave Kaze the additional inches he needed to hoist himself into the crawlspace. Wide as it was, there was less than three feet of space between floors, resulting in him smacking the top of his head against a beam before he pulled himself in completely. The last time that happened was when his father had pulled him into one of the alleys in Chevalier, whipping him around the corner so hard that he nearly cracked his skull on the stone wall while the older man fought with a struggling Ryouma-sama to keep him from giving away their location. Something grabbed his foot, and he instinctively kicked back. 

“What the fuck are you doing? Move!” Snapped from his revere, the green-haired man crawled further ahead, trying to turn around to pull Shura up, but the Kougan was tall enough to climb up unassisted. “Which way?” 

“Put that floorboard back first.” Shura scoffed. 

“I thought these passageways were hidden? If you think Nohrians can find them so easily, why are we using them?” 

“It is an unnecessary risk to take. Put the board back, or move aside and let me.” Even though it was too dark to see, he could  _ feel _ the older man rolling his eyes, but he slid the wooden plank back in place nonetheless. It took a moment to gather his bearings and remember that they were in the west wing, between the fourth and fifth story... or between the third and fourth? No, the passage leading out to the third floor was further north. 

He lead the way east. He had expected to drag himself through decades of dust and cobwebs, but while the tiny path couldn't be called “clean”, it wasn't _as_ filthy as he'd assumed. Splinters tore at his clothes, and insects scuttled over his hands and occasionally crunched beneath him if they couldn't get away in time, but their way forward was almost clear. He'd crawled through worse in the name of duty, lying submerged in ice-cold bogs and wading through sewers. Even that damp decay permeating the air wasn't so bad, but there was an underlying whiff of something that didn't fit in with the mold and vermin droppings. Shura grabbed his pant leg, stopping him as he scooted further.

    “Do you hear that?” Kaze pressed his ear against the damp wood, straining to listen past the ambient noise that somehow grew deafening when he noticed it. Above it, though just barely, was a less organic buzz. 

“...soldiers? No...” They weren't speaking the common tongue, or any of those harsh Nohiran dialects he'd heard in places like Cyrkensia and Dia. 

“Shit. If they're trying to hide from soldiers, why're they being so loud?” It would have been funny, accusing anyone of being loud when a ninja had to work to hear them, but he  _ could _ hear them, and if they listened, so could any nearby Nohrians. There was a little part of his brain that wanted to seek them out, to tell them to be quiet before they gave themselves away. Shura huffed, and he was worried that he'd said that out loud. “Idiots better not draw any attention until we're out of here. As soon as the soldiers find one of 'em, they'll start looking for others.” Yes, that was right. He had a duty, and could not let anything else distract him. 

“The room we're looking for is about a hundred feet east. If another board feels loose, that's probably it.” The smell grew stronger as they continued their crawl, an acrid tang of smoke that had permeated the wood. Kaze frowned as he noticed the beams ahead, not because they shouldn't be there, but because he should not have been able to see them so clearly. Light, however faint, shone in from below. For a moment, he assumed that some maid had panicked in their haste to hide and left the board they'd pushed aside open, but the closer he drew, the quicker it became apparent that wasn't the case.

The smell was strongest here, burnt wood blended with burnt hair and burnt meat. The floorboards were all in place, though flames had bore several holes through the wood, in varying shapes and sizes. He dared to put a bit of weight on it, pulling his hand back immediately as something crumbled beneath his palm, raising a cloud of dust. Yet the floor remained intact. He only noticed because the shafts of light hit the ash, letting him see the chips and fragments of bone scattered amongst it. He'd have crawled through it completely unaware, assuming it was more splinters, or the remains of a raccoon. It must have been the work of a very skilled mage, for it took a very strong fire to burn away all but the largest bones without destroying the structure around them. 

“What is it?” Shura asked behind him. Kaze opened his mouth, closing it as the ash still floating around him settled on his tongue, dry and bitter. 

“The floor is unstable here. Be careful.” He gave the burnt area as wide a berth as he could, wondering if anyone knew that someone had gone missing up here, before reminding himself to stay focused on his mission. Saizou would not have wasted a second thought on one more forgotten ghost wandering an old castle's halls. A quick look over his shoulder revealed that even Shura only spared a passing glance at the bones. The muffled voices were becoming louder, to the point that he could almost make out words. “Food”, “kitchen”, “wells”, something about poison. Maybe Garon really was poisoning wells. 

Shura drew his attention with a short, sharp hiss. The Kougan had veered off the path he set and as Kaze followed, he realized the people talking were directly beneath them. Shura lightly tapped one of the planks, and the younger man swore under his breath. It made sense for anyone who needed to hide to do so here, given that it was so difficult to reach unless you knew exactly how, but why did they have to hide here _now?_ If they startled anyone, there might be a loud enough panic to draw the attention of the Nohrians.

    “We'll go back, go to the fifth floor- there's another--” 

“Fuck the fifth floor; we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.” 

“But--” 

“No god damned 'buts'. Call out to them.” Shura raised his voice from a breath to a whisper, but even that was loud enough to be noticed. The voices beneath them immediately stopped. It wouldn't even take an hour to go up another floor... The older man twisted his fingers into Kaze's sleeve, holding him in place. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of the least threatening way to make his presence known. Lowering his head until his lips nearly brushed against the dusty wood, he tried to whisper through the gap between the floorboards. 

“Can you hear me?” It felt like so long since he'd spoken pure Hoshidan. He was met with silence. “Is it safe?” More silence. Had he somehow picked up a Nohrian accent in only a few months? Then a weak, whimpering voice responded. 

“Yes.” Shura's fingers were already groping for a gap, and it took both of them to pry the board up once he found it. 

“You first.” He  _ was _ the one who wore Hoshidan garb, though he doubted the other man would be opposed to him absorbing a few blows should anyone be carrying a knife. Glancing into the room below, he was relieved to see there were no arrows aimed at his face, no swords or knives raised in preparation for an attack. All he saw was a group of five people huddled in a corner. He dropped down, the soiled tatami absorbing what little sound his feet made. 

“I'm one of you.” He whispered and held his hands up, showing that they were empty. They were two women and three men, all staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. Their clothes were filthy (Kaze didn't want to look down at himself), their hair disheveled. At least one of the men looked to have worked in the stables- he was still wearing his boots, the long dried pegasus manure caked on them adding to the pungent reek of body odor and excrement.

    “Who are you? Where did you come from?” One of the women asked, not the one who had spoken first. Her plain kimono marked her as one of the kitchen staff. 

“I am of the Saizou clan. I served Mikoto-sama.” Their eyes lit up at once, a semblance of life coming back into their haggard faces. 

“Mikoto-sama?” 

“You served the royal family?” 

“I recognize you! Your brother is Ryouma-sama's retainer!” He frantically shushed them, the way their eyes widened filling him with dread. Were there Nohrians nearby? 

“Hey!” He followed their gaze, scowling as he saw Shura's face peeking from the ceiling. “Is it safe?” 

“Would I still be here if it wasn't?” Kaze shot back coldly. Scoffing, the older man disappeared for a second, dropping down behind him. The castle staff backed further into the corner, one of the women covering her head and rocking while a man around Shura's age futilely threw his arms out as though he alone could shield them all. 

“Calm your tits, I'm not Nohrian.” 

“It's true. He's with me.” Kaze assured them when the pirate's words did nothing to set them at ease. 

“But why are you here?” A young man with a faded bruise covering his right eye asked. “I-I remember you, you went with Sakura-sama to Fort Jinya. Why have you come back?” 

“Isn't it obvious?” The formerly cowering maid had risen, a tenuous smile pulling at her lips. Hers was the voice that had answered. “They've come back with Ryouma-sama. They're saving us. The war is over!” The stable hand grabbed her hair, tugging it sharply as he scowled at her. 

    “Shut up, you stupid bitch; you're going to give us away again! Ryouma is _dead,_ put that in your empty skull.” Shura dug his elbow into Kaze's ribs, pulling his attention from the arguing servants.

    “What are we looking for here, a chest or...?” 

“...yes. There's a hidden hidden panel in the walls.” 

“Great. You quiet these fools down.” There was purpose in his steps as he turned and began running his hands over the plaster. 

“What's he doing?” The older man asked, his gaze flickering uncertainly between the newcomers. “Why are you here? You have to tell us!” 

“I will! Just calm down; you must be quiet.” He stepped closer so as to keep his own voice as low as possible. Breathing through his mouth just got the stench caught in his throat. First, a question. “Who told you Ryouma-sama has died?” 

“Garon himself.” The younger man's face twisted into disgusted sneer. “He was boasting about it the whole time he cut his way through Hoshido. All those fucking anyan cowards have been gloating since they came here, as if they had anything to do with it. It was Garon's spawn what did it.” So that wretched Zola had been competent enough to convince the king of their lie. The less he suspected, the better. Kaze sighed. 

“Well, I can tell you without a fraction of a doubt that King Garon is wrong. Ryouma-sama, and  _ all _ of the royal family, are alive and well.” The hopeful maid let out a joyous squeal, before three hands closed over her mouth. 

“How many times do we have to tell you to shut the fuck up?!” She clawed at their fingers, gasping when they finally released her. 

“Fuck your mother, Eiji. I was right. I was right all along! I  _ knew _ Ryouma-sama wouldn't fall to anyan dogs. He's here, he's killing those bastards as we speak--” 

“No!” Kaze raised his hands, willing her to stop talking. Shura had moved onto the second wall, pulling the dagger from his hip and running it through a crack in the plaster. Breathing deeply, he calmed himself. “No. As much as it pains me to be the bearer of bad news, Ryouma-sama is not here.” Her face fell, her hope replaced with a muted shock, as though he'd struck her. If the dark blotch on her jaw was any indication, someone had.

    “He's... He isn't...” She gasped, struck with a sudden thought. “But he's on his way! He-- he has forces coming. They must be held up at Susano-o or something, right?!” Kaze shook his head sadly. The older man's brow scrunched up in thought as he tried to understand what was being told to him. 

“So the royal family are all fine... and they've just abandoned us? It's been months since he left; does he have no intention of returning?” 

“He  _ does; _ he wanted to come back at once--” 

“Well, why didn't he?!” 

“Hey!” Tearing his eyes away from the servants, their fear slowly but surely becoming anger, Kaze noticed Shura pull a wooden box halfway from a small compartment in the wall. “This thing's heavy as fuck. I'm gonna need more pockets.” 

“What is that?” The scullery maid asked. 

“There's  _ more _ gold in here? I knew it- I told you we needed to look better!” 

“Look how many locks are on that chest. Do you honestly think we could open that?” 

“Is  _ this _ why you've come?” The stable hand snapped. “To pillage what the Nohrians haven't already scavenged?” 

“No. Ryouma-sama sent us. We need funds--” 

“For  _ what? _ If he isn't going to drive the anyans away, what in seven hells is he doing?” 

“He  _ is. _ He  _ will.  _ But right now, there is a greater threat--” 

“Greater? What threat can be greater than Garon putting entire villages to the torch? Than those savage beasts raping little girls and ripping babies from their mothers' breast!?”

As mean a thing to think as it was, Kaze felt like he was trying to explain a simple concept to a very slow child. He knew he couldn't fault them for their anger, but they didn't understand, they  _ couldn't _ understand. This must have been what Azura-sama felt like all these years... gods, how had she not gone mad? There was a small click, and ten eyes snapped to where Shura knelt, the chest thrown open. He wasted no time, stuffing handfuls of shining gold disks into his cloak before the hinges even finished creaking. 

“You can't take that!” The younger man's voice was strained as he fought to keep from yelling. “We need it! We have to get food outside the castle!” 

“Sorry, kid, but that sounds like your problem.” Grinding his teeth, the boy stormed over to Shura, grabbing his shoulder. Quicker than an untrained eye could see, the Kougan man was on his feet, a fistful of coins slipping from one hand, a dagger ready to be driven into something soft in the other. “You wanna try that again?” The servant shook his head, a fleck of spittle dripping from the corner of his mouth as he stepped back. 

“So our emperor sent you to ensure that we die even if the Nohrians don't kill us themselves?” The older man spat. 

“No--” 

“Pretty much.” Shura had returned to pilfering the chest. He didn't so much as look at the servants, his voice hard and cold despite the nonchalance of his words. “That's what royals do. You should've realized as soon as the Nohrian army set foot in Shirasagi that you were fucked. There's dozens of people hiding in the woods; if you had half a mind, you'd join them and stop holding out hope for someone who isn't coming.” 

Their lips trembled, tics going off in cheeks and eyes as despair settled over them. The scullery maid began weeping softly, sliding down the wall to bury her head in her knees. Swallowing, Kaze sidled over to where Shura now stood. More than half the chest was still full, but he needed to take as much as he could. This _was_ the royal family's coin; it was not his place to decide where it was spent. Still, he could not allow himself to be weighed down to the point of immobility. When he began to fear that the jangling would draw too much attention to himself, he stopped, tying the canvas bag to his back. There were still several coins left in the chest. They could make that back by selling the necklaces and such that Shura had found. Shura was already holding his hands out to boost him back into the crawlspace, but... the sight of those despondent faces gave him pause.

    “I assure you,” He told them quietly, his voice firm. “That Ryouma-sama has not forgotten you. We work to rid Hoshido of Garon's rule even now. You must have faith in him.” 

“Yeah. Sure.” The stable hand muttered, staring through Kaze. He could say nothing more that would convince them. Sighing, the green-haired ninja began walking away, but the once-hopeful maid pushed past her companions. 

“Wait! Take me with you! Please!” 

“I--” His words caught in his throat. Shura took the opportunity to voice his opinion. 

“If you wanna die so badly, just step outside. There's no place for you where we're going.” 

“No!” She grabbed Kaze's arm, her ragged nails still long enough to cut him through his sleeve. “You have to take me! Please, I'll do anything! I'll cook, I'll dig latrines- th-the soldiers, they need comfort; I can do that! Not for  _ them _ , not the Nohrians!!” 

“Shut up, Mika!” The other maid hissed, her eyes wide in terror, but Mika didn't seem to hear her. Her hands shook so badly that Kaze's whole right side jostled in her grip, tears cutting streaks through the grime on her cheeks as she stared at him. 

“I heard them! I heard what they were doing!! They tore them open, they killed them and fucked the bodies!  _ Please!!” _

“Shut up!” 

“Mika, please!” 

“For someone so afraid of Nohrians, you sure aren't worried about them finding you now!” Shura hissed at her, turning to Kaze. “Get that dumb cunt off you and hurry up! I think I hear footsteps.” Kaze heard them too, faint but coming closer. He tried to pry her fingers loose with his other hand, but she dug them in tighter. 

“Miss, please. You're safer here than where we go. Just calm down--” Those boots were maybe one hall down, and the walls in these rooms were not insulated. 

“NO! I don't care! I'd rather die! They're going to kill me anyway!!” She inhaled deeply, opening her mouth wide. He covered her mouth, but she was fighting with him, trying to pull his hand away. Her companions grabbed her as well, but they were fighting a losing battle against a cornered animal. The scuffling was impossibly loud, and he could hear the rhythm of the approaching feet. He raised his other hand to silence her.

_ Shlck. _

She was the only one who noticed at first, the others too busy trying to pin her down, but once he drew the kunai across her throat, the squirt of blood drew their eyes. The rest of it flowed down her neck, a crimson waterfall, quickly dying the front of her kimono as she went slack, slumping against her companions. The coppery tang assailing his nostrils spurred him into action and he turned, quickly climbing back into the crawlspace and helping to pull Shura in behind him. They remained where they were, not daring to move or even breath as a Nohrian walked unseen beneath them. It wasn't until their footsteps had faded completely that they even replaced the board. Only then did Kaze become aware that the front of his tunic was wet, the once almost intense heat quickly cooling as it clung to his skin. 

“Which way?” Shura whispered. “Back the way we came?” He nodded, then realized it was too dark for that. 

“Mm hmm.” Back past another body that had executed for the crime of being too loud, probably. 

“Well, come on, then.” The older man began crawling, leading the way this time. It wasn't that difficult when the beams of light acted as a signpost. The journey back felt much shorter, perhaps because his mind was preoccupied with what had just happened rather than with trying to remember where they needed to go. 

Even when he smelled the burnt wood and hair and moved to go around the holes and bones as much as he reasonably could, he still felt grit under his gloves, acutely aware that the blood he dragged through it was leaving a macabre, muddy smear in his wake. There were hundreds of hidden rooms and halls and crawlspaces in Shirasagi, and twice as many people who lived in the castle to keep it operating smoothly. Too many to look for, until a few centuries from now, there was another invasion and another generation needed to hide and stumbled upon them. 

    “Hey.” Shura's voice was so quiet, he could barely hear him over the roar of his thoughts. “You did the right thing, kid. It wasn't her or us; it was her or all those other people who didn't agree to die today.” Kaze remained silent. The older man was right, he knew he was right. Anyone would agree. But he didn't care. He could almost feel the blood leaching into his skin, deep enough that he could never be rid of it. A ninja had no aversion to killing. Nothing must come between a shinobi and their mission. He'd taken many lives. But those had been soldiers and guards, people trained to accept that they might die. Never crying, terrified young women pleading for him to help them. She couldn't have been older than Azura-sama, barely more than a child _cowering on the ground in Sumeragi-sama's shadow as a dozen archers nocked their arrows..._

    “This is where we get out, right?” 

“Yes.” He wasn't paying attention, but it didn't matter. There were only so many places they could reach through each passage. Shura fought with the panel, his cloak jangling with every movement. A sliver of light cut through the shadows, reflecting on his hair. 

“Fuck. Finally.” He peered down, quickly withdrawing his head. “This is a room.” 

“Do you see or hear anyone coming?” 

“No.” 

“Then it'll do.” Kaze whispered harshly. “If you're worried, then move; I'll go down first.” The Kougan man scooted over, allowing him to reach the opening. He had hoped it was one of the many guest rooms, but no such luck. Someone had lived here once, and the Nohrians had torn it apart. But they weren't there now, so he dropped down. Clothes and blankets were strewn about, a futon ripped up, it's stuffing strewn about like entrails. Most of the shoji paper had been punched out, including on the window... He frowned and walked to it while Shura replaced the board. There was a small gap still left open, but the shadows cast by the beams all but hid it. Spotting the window, he grinned for a moment. 

“Looks like someone did our job for us.” The smile slid from his face as he looked around, eyes falling on the shattered remains of a mechanized rocking toy, modeled after the automatons Yukimura and the other strategists rode. “This room's too nice for the helps' kids. Who stays in here?” 

“No one.” He answered truthfully. Scraps of parchment struck out from under some of the torn robes. He picked one up, the frayed edge tearing further where he pinched it. The ink had flaked off in places, but he still recognized what little of the scribbled mane remained behind one of the stick-like figures, half of a smaller one just beside it. Folding the paper, he tucked it into his tunic, stepping out of the still broken window. If Mikoto-sama had returned from the plaza, she would have ordered it repaired. He was trying to figure out what the odds of being caught if they rappelled down when a voice called to him, so loud and close that his kunai was out before he even found the source.

    |Put that thing away. It's me.| 

“Fucking fish...” Shura grumbled as he too climbed out. “Don't you know not to sneak up on people? Damn near stopped my heart.” 

|I had to stop you before you tried to climb down. It didn't work when Lady Nerr tried it, and it  _ definitely _ won't work now. There are guards on the floor  _ right _ below you. It's a miracle you didn't get caught!| Kaze frowned as something dawned on him. 

“You can see us wherever you came from. You've been watching all this time.” 

|What's your point?| 

__ _ “Why didn't you come sooner?” _ Large yellow eyes narrowed as the strange creature drifted closer, and it occurred to him at that moment that Shirasagi was built on a great many Dragon Veins that could, in theory, bring the entire castle down. 

|I've been busy. You aren't the only manspawn I've been ferrying around. I come when  _ I _ think it's safe, not when you want to keep your hands from getting dirty.| His kunai was still tacky with drying blood. He quickly lowered it, failing to calm his pounding heart as the tiles turned from green to white, growing brighter until he could see it even through his closed eyes. 

He was jerked down, his bones feeling loose under his skin for a few seconds that were at once an eternity. His legs weren't prepared for the weight of the rest of his body, folding under him when the ground reappeared. Shura tripped over him, hitting the ground hard enough to send coins scattering across the sand. The voices that mingled with the ringing in his ears were far more familiar, and spoken in the common tongue. He never dreamed that he would be grateful to hear it. 

“Th-they're back!” 

“They look like hell.” 

“You don't think--” 

“--know where we are--” 

“No one knows where we are.” Lady Nerr's voice was louder than the rest. He noticed her feet first, looking up to see her hand extended to him. Her brows furrowed. “Are you alright?” He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring her help.

    “I am fine, milady.” He quickly turned at an angle so the dark stain on his tunic wasn't readily visible. Ryouma-sama stepped forward, his jaw tight. 

“Were you successful?”  _ Do everything in your power to escape without fatalities... _ His teeth ground together to the point of pain. They hadn't killed any Nohrian soldiers... 

“Yeah.” Shura answered when he stood, unwrapping the cloak from his shoulder and turning it upside down. Coins rained from the ratty garment with every rough shake, forming a messy, but substantial pile. He pulled out his dagger and leaned over Kaze, cutting open the bag on his back and freeing it's contents as well. Princess Elise laughed in delight, dropping to her knees to grab fistfuls of coins. 

“We're rich again!” Her brother slapped them from her hands. 

“No, we're not. All of that's going to mercenaries and supplies. Don't you get any ideas.” 

“But... my boots--” 

“Are  _ fine. _ ” Prince Leo told her coldly. Ryouma bent, picking up a coin and turning it between his fingers. 

“I'm surprised there was so much left. I wouldn't have admitted it aloud, but I was afraid Garon had reduced Shirasagi to a smoldering ruin.” 

“Well, you don't have anything to worry about there, princeling. Your ancestral home is just as intact and beautiful as you remember. There are even people still alive.” 

“Really?” Takumi-sama's eyes lit up, just as hopeful as the servants' had been.

    “Yeah,” Shura assured him. “I mean, they're all in hiding and starving and still being murdered by the Nohrians, and they all think their beloved leader has either been butchered or else, just abandoned them... but they're alive. That's more than can be said for a lot of people.” The tenuous levity that had begun to blossom died immediately, everyone's faces falling. 

“...they think I left them to the sharks...?” Ryouma-sama's voice was hollow, the coin slipping from his fingers to fall back into the pile. 

“They don't understand,” Azura-sama told him quietly. “They can never understand. You  _ didn't _ abandon them; you're fighting  _ for _ them.” 

Lady Nerr's face had darkened as well, but Kaze couldn't imagine that she felt particularly guilty about any Hoshidan smallfolk thinking she abandoned them. She  _ had _ , he thought for all of one horrible second before reminding himself that her apathy for her people was the direct result of  _ his _ mistakes. As if sensing what he was thinking, her eyes snapped to him. 

“You're very quiet, Kaze. Is something wrong? Something  _ other _ than horrible things you've seen?” 

“No, milady.” Those eyes darted down, and he tried to turn further, but it was too late. 

“Is that blood?” She sniffed the air, frowning deeply. “You smell like blood. What happened?”  _ 'There was a causality. It was unavoidable. I had to kill an innocent person to get back here...' _ Shura found himself exceptionally talkative today, taking it upon himself to answer her. 

“We had a bit of a scuffle getting into the castle. I didn't notice some idiot soldier trying to stab me. Saizou here did. Didn't even slow him down.” 

“Oh!” Sakura ran to him, pulling out a festal. “L-let me heal you!” He stepped away from the young girl. Everyone was crowding around him, just like those archers had filled the alley, coming out of the shadows like ninja, like demons... 

“There's no need for that, little miss. I already patched him up.”

    “Yes...” Kaze nodded weakly. “Yes, I'm unhurt... just... tired. I'll be fine after a bit of rest.” 

“Then you should rest,” Hinoka told him before looking at Shura. “You too. I can't imagine how nerve wracking today has been for you two.” 

“Yes.” Ryouma's voice was firmer now, though there was still a haunted look in his eyes. “Without your services, we wouldn't have any hope of continuing. Thank you. Both of you.” Shura nodded, probably the most respect he'd ever deferred to a Hoshidan royal other than Lady Nerr. Kaze tried to bow, but could only manage a stiff jerk. 

He quickly walked back to his tent before anyone could call him out on it, unlacing his tunic on the way. The moment he ducked beneath the canvas flaps, he tore it off, tossing it as hard as he could in the corner. Despite shedding weight, his body felt unnaturally heavy suddenly, and he all but collapsed onto his bed roll, breathing hard through his mouth to avoid the stench of blood. What was one life when weighed against many? That's what Saizou would say, the  _ real _ Saizou, his brother, his father, better, stronger, braver men who died because of war, because of Nohr. 

Because King Garon killed the man keeping him at bay. 

Because  _ he _ was too stupid to open his mouth and tell his father about all the brigands who dared to lurk about when the two most powerful men in the land were around. Rolling over, he dragged himself to the filthy heap in the corner, gingerly picking at it with two fingers until a scrap of parchment fell out. 

Ryouma-sama had looked annoyed when his father told him to hold Nerr-sama's hand as they walked into the palace of Chevalier, mostly because she kept jerking his arm every time she tried to run forward. But he'd done so anyway, looking proud when Sumeragi told him he would be a good father one day. He remembered Mikoto-sama waving their procession goodbye when they left, trying her hardest to smile as tears rolled down her cheeks. She had wailed loudly when they returned, Saizou the fourth telling her what had happened, grim-faced. Ryouma had holed himself in his room, refusing to leave and yelling at anyone who dared disturb him. A lifetime of misery and horror because his father insisted a stupid craven who would turn on his own people learn his duty in the field... 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- This was supposed to have two other stories running simultaneously to it interspersed throughout it. I assume you can see why I abandoned that idea almost immediately. Alas, as much as I wanted to go back and write them regardless, I didn't want to go on another half-year hiatus to do so.


	25. The Gutter

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Ch.25- “The Gutter”

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The sight and sound of so many people in so tiny a space reminded Nerr painfully of Shirasagi. Every part of that day had been overwhelming, dozens of bodies pressing in around her as she tried to flee. Dozens of bodies rent apart by shrapnel and crushed under rubble. Breathing hard, she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, trying to keep the metal of her gauntlet from cutting into her face. Hinoka leaned around to peer at her, brows drawn in worry.

“Are you alright, Nerrida? We can postpone leaving for a little while longer if you're not feeling well.” Lowering her hand, the Nohrian princess forced herself to smile.

“I'm fine. Just a bit tired, but aren't we all?” Hinoka's face was even more wan than hers.

“Yeah. I never knew it was possible to wake up even  _ more _ tired than when I went to sleep.” Nodding, Nerr forced herself to walk. The longer she stayed still, the more it felt like she was sinking into the ground. If she sank any further, she wouldn't be able to take a single step forward. Her new helm weighed almost as heavily on her as the memory of the hell they were stepping back into.

They hadn't been able to afford much, but at least they'd scrounged up enough to replace their dented armor. Sakura and Elise had switched helms, the Hoshidan folded steel too large for the pink-haired girl. Even with Elise's blonde curtain pulled back into a single tight braid, it was still thick enough to require a bit more space. Hers was adorned with a row of iron prongs, a mockery of Garon's crown. Her sorry band of soldiers were gathered together, speaking in low tones to one another, but they all fell silent when she spoke. The sellswords remained as boisterous behind her, but they had their orders and their coin.

    “Savor these last few moments of peace, friends. We make our way to Hell, and we'll either come back as god slayers, or not at all. Are you ready to die?” Their silence was deafening, and she wished for a moment that she'd just kept her fool mouth shut, but before she could try and backtrack, a voice interrupted her.

“My life is yours, milady.” Kaze knelt where he stood. Not to be outdone, Shura dropped to one knee as well.

“Hell, I was  _ born _ ready to die.” Their nonchalance seemed to calm the others, who slowly but surely responded with nods.

“I can think of no better cause to give my life for than Hoshido's continued existence.”

“I'll gladly bleed every drop for Nohr.”

“I don't w-want to die, but... I-I'll be brave...”

“Don't worry, we'll be fine!” Grim as it was, that they accepted their potential fate put Nerr's mind at ease. Something akin to courage filled her as she took her place back amongst them. Lilith came to hover before the group, her orb glowing softly.

|I will take you to the border of Gyges. You'll have to find your way to the throne room on your own, but once Anankos shows himself, I'll bring your reinforcements.|

“What if they don't want to go?” Camilla asked, her lips curled as she scanned the sellswords laughing and dicing.

|They don't have a choice in the matter.| She closed her eyes, the sand at their feet growing brighter. Azura gripped Nerr's cape tightly, but before she could think to say anything to her, strong fingers wove between hers, squeezing them.

“I have no intention of dying here, Nerr,” Gunther whispered softly. “And neither do you.”

The light swallowed them before she could untangle her thoughts, an invisible hook latching around her spine and yanking it forward, pulling her apart and spooling her back together nearly as quickly. Just as soon as her feet found solid ground, her legs gave out under her, dropping her to her knees. Judging by the clattering around her, she wasn't the only one. At the very least, the ground was soft beneath her poleyns. She took a moment to catch her breath, trying to breathe away the nausea. The petrichor wafting around her suggested that it had been raining recently, but the grass felt dry when she finally managed to stand again.

Trying not to wince as she tilted her head back, the source of the smell became clear. The air around them shimmered, thick drops of water frozen in place, encircling the entire island. The others noticed as well, Azura in particular reaching out a shaking hand to touch one of the shivering globules. She drew her fingers back the moment they made contact, awe and horror blended together in her eyes.

    “He did this...” She breathed. Takumi frowned.

“So? I've seen you do the same thing.” The singer shook her head, trying to back away from the water before realizing she was surrounded.

“No... I could hold this much water up for a few seconds at most. This must be an entire lake. That would kill me.” She turned towards Nerr. “He knows we're here.”

“I expect a warm welcome, then.” The other princess had already begun climbing over the ruins that lay before them. As large as it seemed, they were only on a small part of land, broken off the actual island Gyges resided on. She could see it below her, chunks of masonry and broken pillars spiraling down in a perfect path.

Once, she may have been taken aback by the sheer size of the castle, but it wasn't as tall as Shirasagi's castle, nor as sprawling as Krakenburg. Yet it still took her breath away, not due to the crumbing stone pyramid that seemed to extend far  _ below _ the clump of earth it sat on, but for everything around it. She had expected the land to be as melancholic as every other part of Valla they'd passed through, but the explosion of color and life below her was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

Hoshido could not hold a candle to the brilliance of Gyges' gardens. Hundreds, thousands of flowers, all in bloom, painted the fields leading up to the castle's main entrance in every color she had ever seen, and many she didn't have names for. Massive trees with interwoven branches curtained much of the land from view with their hanging purple and pink and blue flowers, and from the sea of blossoms, figures carved of shining white stone brushed against the sky. Xander came to stand beside her, staring down, his jaw hanging open as he tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing.

“... _ how?? _ Most of those plants can't even grow in the same climate.”

“ _ That's  _ your takeaway here?” She laughed humorlessly. Xander's lips closed, his jaw tight. 

“You must admit that's it's... baffling. I was expecting corpses piled a thousand deep. This is... beautiful. It's hardly threatening.”

“From a certain point of view, I can see how it could be. King Garon would leave heads on pikes, I'm sure. Anankos is reminding us that he can bring life to the dead just as easily as he can bring death to the living. Just imagine the power it takes to coax this much life from such a dead land... and he wasted it on flowers. Color me unimpressed.” It would take more than some first-year scholar's uninspired attempt at symbolism to cow her. After the horrors she'd borne witness to, to say nothing of the ones left to her imagination, the sight of a field of flowers was more comforting than anything.

She had dreamt of something similar once, she remembered while testing the first stone in their path. It seemed to hold her weight, but she kept her grip tight on her dragonstone as she committed to stepping on it. She'd looked down from on high, just like now, watching children laugh and play. Had Anankos put that dream in her head, or did he slink through her mind, finding bits and pieces of her nightmares to use against her? Nerr chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to keep from getting lost in her own head. This was no time to think of anything but placing one foot in front of the other, considering their path was barely two feet wide, and not even in some places. It was slow going, but their process was unimpeded. The closer to Terra Firma they got, the stronger the perfume in the air became, dozens and dozens of scents that may have been enjoyable on their own blending together to form something overpowering and unpleasant. 

Nerr could feel the throbbing begin in her temples slowly branching towards her eyes, but she would not let herself be overwhelmed this time. Try as she might to keep her eyes glued to the stones as she walked, she could not help but look up, all the way up, to the statues. They were carved to depict the same figure as the one Azura had shown them when they first arrived, but finer and larger. The robes these beings wore were carved along with their limbs, not actual cloth that could rot away. Each held up one hand, the permanent serene smile on their lips made unnerving by the empty caverns where eyes should have been. Even with them facing away from her, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched by those black holes. Hinoka and Camilla swooped down on their mounts, carrying their younger sisters, to land first. As Nerr reached the end of the pathway, Camilla lifted her by the waist and set her down.

“Best be quiet, dearest. I'm certain we're not alone here.” Her visible eye was narrowed as she scanned the field. While it looked flat from above, at eye level, Nerr could see that the plants varied wildly in size. Some were no taller than stalks of grass, but there were yellow and pink bushes in particular that would cover her head if she dared to get closer. A wave of monsters could be hidden in that field, and they wouldn't know until they stepped on them. As the others clambered down, a rustling in the distance caught her attention. The flowers swayed, despite there being no breeze to move them. At once, the Yato was in her hand, her breath bated as she crept forward.

“Sister? What are you--”

“Shh!” Each step was measured, heel-toe, trying to tread as softly as possible. In the relative silence, her armor was deafening, but surely that was just her ragged nerves amplifying every sound. She crouched, hiding herself among an ocean of soft white puffs, not daring to breathe as something stumbled a few feet away from her. Its gait was slow and unsteady, dragging its feet through the dirt. She waited until it moved away, whatever it was, before continuing to crawl as slowly as she could.

Groans and shuffling grew louder as she moved further. Peering through the stalks of the flowers, she saw legs wobbling not so far away. No flames swirled around their feet, and the legs were solid and clothed, though misshapen. As they walked away, others replaced them, weaving in and out of the flowers. Looking up, her stomach clenched into a tight ball. She had been expecting monsters, their liquid remains sloshing around as they patrolled the castle. Even though Ant had all but told her this was exactly what she would be walking into, it had somehow escaped her mind until this very moment. The dead did not roam this part of the kingdom, not here. She could hear them moaning in pain, gasping for breath, all sounds the dead didn't make.

Even though their skin was sickly, gray and tinged with yellow and green, it was still skin, not a thin membrane to hold the enchanted water inside. Most of their bodies had been overtaken by growths, stems and fleshy heads distending the flesh like strange tumors, growing from eyes and ears and mouths, and yet still they moved and groaned and lived. Had the smell of the flowers not overwhelmed the stench she was certain they all gave off, she would have retched without question. Opting to breathe through her mouth regardless, Nerr slowly made her way back to where the others had all made contact.

“There are people here.” She couldn't bring her voice above a whisper, even if the degrading bodies were a few dozen yards away. Ryouma's hand went to the hilt of his sword.

“How many?” Sheathing her own blade, she shoved his hand away from the Raijinto.

“Not monsters.  _ People! _ Actual people, like Ant.”

“I fail to see how that makes a difference, Nerrida.” He tried once again to go for his sword, and once again, she stopped him.

“They're unarmed civilians. They're sick. I don't even think most of them can see. We can't slaughter people just because their ruler is a monster,  _ Garon. _ ” The Hoshidan princes' jaw tightened so harshly, it was a wonder the bone didn't snap. He stayed his hand, however.

“So long as they don't pose a threat, they will remain unharmed. I would not take the chance of trying to weave between gods know how many of them, though.”

“Of course not. They seem to be wandering in the fields- it's doubtful they can see where they're going. There's a path, though. Where those trees are.” The path in question was about a hundred feet from where they stood, lined with dozens of trees, but a much more open environment. Leo frowned as he followed it with his eyes.

    “That seems much too convenient. It's highly unlikely a castle this size only has one entrance. We should look for a side passage.”

“We might spend hours looking for something that isn't there, Leo.  _ We _ wouldn't even know what to look for.” She turned to Kaze and Shura, the latter tapping his temple knowingly.

“Already on it, princess.” He took off, and with a short bow, Kaze was hot on his heels.

Despite running over dry, rocky soil, they were as ghosts. If they could all be so quiet, they could slip past the poor denizens of Gyges with ease. While still in sight of the others, both men stopped, looking around at the massive trees that surrounded them. They seemed to argue for a moment, their words too quiet to reach her ears even in the still air, but with a violent gesture, Shura continued on, his movements much more subdued now, as Kaze returned to them. Xander approached the younger man with a frown.

“What is it? Has our stalwart companion decided to turn tail and leave us?” Nerr willed her glare to burn holes into her brother's skull, but Kaze's perturbed expression took precedence.

“No, milord. He's continuing to look for a secondary entrance, despite my insistence that he return with me.”

“ _ You're _ the one turning tail?” The Nohrian princess frowned in turn. “That's unlike you.” The ninja shook his head.

“No, milady. I'm-- It's-- There's--” Words continued to fail him as he grappled for an explanation. “There are people in the trees.”

“We're being spied on?”

“No, Nerr-sama. It's-- I-- I cannot convey the magnitude of what is happening there.”

“Then just tell us to see for ourselves.” Hinoka had already begun leading her pegasus onto the trail when the green-haired man stood in her path, keeping her at bay.

“I suggest you don't, Hinoka-sama. Nothing good can come of going in this direction. This is an omen, a terrible omen.” Nerr had not seen him look so pale even after his brother's death. He spoke the truth, she could feel it in her bones, but unfortunately for them all, the time to heed warnings had long since passed. Inhaling deeply, and nearly choking on the thick, sweet scent, she walked past him.

    “If they aren't spies, then they aren't a threat to us. Be they poor souls trying to hide from Anankos' wrath or strung up corpses, we cannot be deterred when we are so close.”

“Lady Nerr, no!” He tried to grab her cloak to stop her, but she wrenched it away from him, quickening her steps. The already dim sun was almost completely blocked out by the curtain of purple and blue above her. The tree she had seen at the ruined church was dwarfed by these giants. She stared up at the branches, expecting to see the silhouettes of people among them, possibly dangling from ropes, but there was nothing remotely human around but her.

She was so convinced that she was alone amidst the swaying blossoms that the first time she heard it, she was convinced the soft groan came from her. If she'd stepped on a particularly sharp rock hidden beneath the carpet of fallen petals, she'd have groaned much like that, but she hadn't. Besides, it was too deep, too hoarse to be her voice. Gripping her cape tightly to keep her hand away from the Yato's hilt, Nerr scanned the canopy once again, her search turning up nothing. It was purely by chance that she registered the motion from the corner of her eye. She wouldn't have even looked had she not thought one of her siblings was running up to her. But no, they were still quite a bit away. The person she'd seen was closer, leaning against one of the trees. But how could one lean without legs? There was nothing but twisting trunk, and suddenly, a torso, so intertwined with bark that it was all but impossible to tell where tree ended and man began. Horror slipped down her spine, chilling her to her core as she took in the rest of the wisterias.

Kaze hadn't been lying- how could one hope to describe people  _ in _ the trees, what little of their bodies were left exposed contorted in unnatural angles. Despite there being some differences- a neck crooked too far one way, an over arched back, a twisted shoulder- every person she looked upon was strung up in the same way, their arms raised and pointing in the same direction, guiding them to the castle's doors. Now that she was made aware of them, she could not hope to ignore them again. Every shallow gasp, every pitiful moan, she felt deep in her gut. The others were quicker to notice than her, with Sakura covering her mouth to keep from screaming as one poor soul writhed in agony. Takumi's mouth worked in silence before he could gather his words.

    “Gods... even King Garon wouldn't be  _ this _ crazy...”

“How many... how many people...” Azura's eyes overflowed with tears as she took in every face. Her hands shook, one reaching up to brush against her pendant before jerking away as if the stone had burned her. “Mother... she told me there was no one left... She told me Anankos killed everyone...” Kaze stepped in front of her, attempting to block her field of view.

“I'm sorry, milady. I tried to stop you--”

“Why would you stop us?” Nerr snapped, working to keep her voice down. “Why would you try to hide this from us? Should we not bear witness to this monster's atrocities? Should we not see the suffering he causes, for no reason other than to  _ taunt _ us? This is what he does to his people; imagine what he'll do to  _ ours _ .”

She worked to hold onto her anger even as it slipped away like water through her fingers. If she wasn't enraged, she would weep and be unable to stop. She could already feel the tears burning her eyes, choking her. It was a blessed distraction when Shura appeared through the purple haze, leaves and detritus clinging to his hair. He held his tongue until he was at her side, panting slightly.

“There's what looks to be a servant's entrance around the side. It's locked, but--” She'd been praying he would say the lock could be easily picked, but whatever he intended her to know would go unsaid. She had assumed the miserable beings lining their way were oblivious to their surroundings, either due to their pain or the fungi encrusting their eyes, but they were not so dead to the world as she'd hoped. A keening wail, too agonized to be human and yet impossible to be anything but, filled the air. The person behind them spasmed against their bonds, their body too overgrown to distinguish anything that may have been male or female. The rope-like trunk coiled around their arms and chest dug into what flesh remained, scrubbing away the skin until it ran red.

“Help me! Help me, please!! You see me,  _ I know you see me!” _ What little was left of milky white eyes stared down at them, at her as the impossible wailing continued. “Help me! Save me; Anankos, have mercy!!!” Before she could think of how to respond, Gunther pushed past her, driving his lance into Vallite's exposed belly. The screaming petered out almost at once, but by then, it was already too late. The others had been awakened from their stupor, their moaning growing louder. Some spoke, very few able to muster more than a word or two, but the cacophony of dozens of people screaming and crying and begging at once would have made anything else impossible to understand.

“Help me!”

“Save me!”

“Mercy!!” And above it all, dozens more distant screams growing louder as the earth shuddered beneath them.

“Shit, run! Run!!” Shura grabbed Nerr's wrist, trying to pull her through the trees, but she stumbled over the thick roots. The others were more sure on their feet, darting between the trunks as the emaciated people above them cursed them for abandoning them. In spite of their withered limbs and the flesh that seemed to slough off with every step, the Vallites ran at an impressive speed. Just like their watery counterparts, the living horde did not slow down. If one fell, they were crushed by their friends, neighbors, family. Only it was a louder sound, all crunching and piercing wails. They spoke, or tried to. So many voices let forth only garbled gibberish, but Nerr was certain she heard cries of “Anankos!” mixed in with the snarls and nonsense. Did they hunt down the outsiders because of some lingering sense of duty to their god? Had he promised them salvation if they slaughtered his foes? Did they think these strangely dressed intruders were sent by their despot to inflict a greater horror on them?

Her head swimming with guilt and confusion slowed her steps enough for one of the Vallites to break away from the pack and reach her. A woman of indeterminable age lunged at her, grabbing onto her mail skirt and knocking her to the ground. Though winded, pain radiating across her chest, Nerr scrambled to get back on her feet as the still grounded woman tore at her legs with a hysterical fury, trying to no avail to tear her apart. Brittle yellow nails broke against her greaves, though they dug in painfully around her heels. She tried to kick her way free of the grasping hands, but without enough force to be effective. She could not bring herself to break the bones of such a pitiful creature.

“Nerr!” A shadow passed over her as a spear hurtled from the sky, landing with a wet  _ shlunk _ in the Vallite woman's shoulder, shattering the bony plate beneath. She howled, releasing her grip on the Nohrian princess, flailing like a beast caught in a trap as she tried to pull the spear free. Brilliant flames in all shades of orange and pink encircled the steel, spreading to the dried growths and spores encrusting the poor woman's skin, licking at her hair and tattered rags until she was engulfed. Hinoka flew lower, yanking on her Amaterasu's chain, deaf to the screams. “You go, Nerrida. I'll hold them off!”

“No!! They're people, leave them be!” She unsheathed the Yato, swinging wide at the pegasus' legs, trying to make it take off again, but a war steed was not so easily spooked. By the time the burning woman had gone still, the rest of the swarm had caught up to them. Hinoka swore under her breath, putting her heels to the pegasus. It's wings blew away the thick black smoke that had wafted from the charring body as it turned, rising and then sharply dipping. Nerr tried to scream, but the sound caught in her throat. There was no splash of blood, however, only startled cries as many of the Vallites ducked, shielding their bulbous, craggy heads. Others that lacked any sense of self preservation were still slowed as those in front of them paused, causing a chain reaction of stumbles and falls.

“What the hell are you gawking at, Nerrida?!  _ Run!!” _ The air was full of sickly yellow spores and the acrid stench of burning hair that she gulped down mouthfuls of as she ran. Those that had gotten back on their feet were the quick ones. The rest of her companions had stopped around the side of the castle, where it seemed all five elder royals were locked in battle with a foe Nerr could not see. Her stomach twisted itself into knots as she prepared for the sight of some twisted child being stomped to death, but the true situation was far less gruesome, though no less confusing.

The enemy, which appeared to have bested the heirs to both kingdoms, were the splintered remains of a cellar door, surrounded by weeds. Rusted chains, their links as thick as her arm, crossed back and forth over the rotting wood. Camilla hacked violently at them, her Artemis cleaving through the wood beneath like warm butter, sending splinters flying, but leaving the chains unscathed.

“What! Is! This! Devilry!?” She screamed in frustration with every swing.

“It's magic.” Leo told her, flipping through his tome, it's pages lighting his face from beneath. Panting, Camilla flipped her wildly mussed hair from her face, glaring at her younger brother.

“Then  _ un _ magic it!”

“I'm.  _ Trying! _ ” He snarled back through gritted teeth. Thick roots had woven around the spikes that surrounded the door, holding the chains in place. Nerr had seen Brynhildr's power reduce one of the Citadel's parapets to gravel, but the roots only snapped as they pulled, leaving the poles still deeply embedded.

“Surely there's another entrance  _ somewhere _ we can use!”

“Yeah, there are.” Shura pointed to the castle wall, not ten feet from them. Even more chains, just as rusty, just as thick, barred any from entering. “There're no locks to be picked- there aren't even joints on these chain links! If magic can't break them... we're trapped out here.” Nerr gaped at him.

“... _ it's a  _ **_door_ ** .”

“It's  _ barred _ , sister.” Xander explained, as if she were blind. The screaming behind them was getting louder. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Hinoka swooping down again, her lance still put away. Less of the Vallites were cowed this time, and the horde didn't slow nearly as much.

“Not by a stone wall!” She ran up to the door, and drove her heel down on the moss covered wood. She felt the pain before she even made contact with a solid surface, radiating up her leg as her bones twisted and reshaped themselves, the flesh above them tearing into strips that layered upon one another to create a thick plate of armor. It was not a human heel that broke through the wood, but a lance of blood and bone. The door shattered far more easily than she had been expecting, and Nerr had to quickly lean back, lest her leg be sucked into the void she had uncovered. Ryouma frowned as she broke another section of the door, then another.

“Sister, what are you--?”

“There are, what, three chains here? Break the door and squeeze between them!” Odin's eyes lit up as he fumbled for his tome.

“Yeah... yes, I can do that!” The scribbles on the old parchment were illuminated in red, but before he could cast any spell, a cry of pain in an all too familiar voice drew their attention back to the Vallites.

Their fear completely gone, they waited until Hinoka dove again. Her last attempt to drive them back had backfired, as dozens of hands grabbed at her. They caught Kinka's legs, ten, twenty, a hundred- it was impossible to tell- arms tugging at the terrified beast, pulling it from the sky. It landed hard, one snowy wing snapping beneath it's weight. Hinoka's head bounced when it hit the ground, her feet still caught in the stirrups. Even as some of the Vallites went for the pegasus, earning bone shattering kicks from the panicked, agonized animal, most ignored it, there attention focused entirely on the still-dazed princess.

“Sister, no!” Takumi raised his bow, but before he could summon an arrow, a ball of fire exploded in the midst of the horde, the shock wave knocking them down like blocks. Flames snaked from one body to another, greedily devouring greasy hair and clothes as its victims fell to the ground, screaming and thrashing and clawing at their bubbling skin. Elise closed the tome in her hands, fingers digging into the red leather as she looked on, pale faced. The others were not so affected by the carnage before them. Xander was the first at Hinoka's side, trying to lift the writhing pegasus enough to free her leg. He could not manage on his own, but with Ryouma's help, they raised it enough for her to pull her free.

Blood soaked into the sand, her foot twisted at an impossible angle. Those Vallites that had escaped the flames did not mourn their fallen any more than the dead of their land would, their screams enraged as they rushed at the princes. Nerr could not waste her breath telling her brothers to stop as their holy swords cut through the weakened flesh like cake. She could only stay her own hand as she ran for Hinoka, reaching the other princess as she weakly tried to crawl away from the still spreading flames. Nerr could have gotten her on her good leg with ease only a few weeks ago, but trying to maneuver another person's weight with only one arm was all but impossible. Another Vallite lunged at them, fingers curled and ready to tear into flesh, as a vortex of water erupted around them. Over the rush, something howled, and as the wall fell away, drenching them, one of the Vallite's arms lay several feet from its body, blood mixing in with the mud beneath them.

Nerr tried again to lift her sister, her body suddenly becoming weightless. Gunther picked up the Hoshidan princess with ease, slinging her over his pauldrons and carrying her back to the cellar. Nerr kept her sword at her hip, but when another hand, thick with lumps and veins that stood out like vines, closed around her stump, she did not hesitate to drive her knee into her would-be attacker's chin. There was a crunch as his teeth broke, but he was still alive, torturous though such a life may be. Though the chains remained, the path they blocked was clear, the wooden frame of the cellar now as black as it's depths. Sakura lowered her festal into the abyss as far as she could  reach, but it's light revealed nothing. Pulling out a shuriken, Kaze dropped it into the darkness. They could barely hear over the screams and wails and whinnies, but from somewhere in the darkness, there was a splash.

“Why is there water down there?”

“Does it matter?!”

“What if we jump into a lake and drown!?”

“We have to take that chance!” Ryouma panted as he ran back to them, blood dripping from a deep gouge in his cheek. “There are too many, and the flames are spreading.”

“Are you going in first?” Lazwald asked.

“No. I am.” Selena stepped forward, sitting on the edge of the cellar as she dangled her legs into the darkness. Her feet were barely visible. She glared at her companions. “Lower me in, idiots! I'm not gonna jump!” With each man holding one hand, they slowly lowered her until they could no longer reach. Odin was nearly prone on the ground, his arm shaking.

“We have to drop you or we'll all fall in!”

“No, Odin, don't you fucking dare--!” Her voice was was faint, but echoed greatly all beneath their feet, her outraged cry cut off by a scream and a much louder splash than before. Camilla dropped to her knees, staring wide-eyed into the darkness.

“Selena?! Are you okay?!”

“I'm alive! I'm drenched! There's a basement or something, but it's completely flooded!”

“That doesn't matter!” Nerr grabbed Azura's arm and pulled her towards the cellar. “Help me lower Azura down, then they can help with Sakura and Elise.” Camilla took the singer's other arm, beginning her descent into the darkness. Even the bright white of her dress could not stave off the pitch black for long, and by the time her arm could stretch no more, all Nerr could see of the other girl was the suggestion of her hair.

“You can let go. Selena's got me.”

“What? No I don--!” She had already released the singer's hand, trying to reach for Elise when something barreled into her from behind, sending her sprawling onto the chains. They cut into her neck and face as she tried to right herself. Behind her, the others were grunting, trying to force back a wall of particularly determined villagers.

“Kill them!”

“In His name!”

“Their flesh will make us whole!!”

“Save us, blessed Anankos!” Shura pushed two back, but even before they fell they were trampled by others shoving their way forward.

    “Takumi, shoot them!”

“I can't! They're too close!” Another one clawed its way between Ryouma and Camilla. Nerr kicked at it, her leg twinging in sharp bursts as her toes split apart, the nails thickening and merging with the bones breaking through the skin. The sorry fool trying to grab at her had enough sense left to recoil in terror, but could not pull away fast enough as a dripping maw closed over their head and shoulders, the wet crunch that followed filling her mouth with the taste of hot iron. The cavern in her leg closed, and Nerr worked to keep from retching. Every time she bent to lower another person into the darkness, bile rushed up her throat.

“This is taking too long,” Kaze told her as Sakura disappeared, landing somewhere with a grunt. “We need to jump!”

“What if we break our legs?”

“Would you rather die?” He was right, but gods if she couldn't already feel her ankles snapping like dry kindling. “Milady, go!” She bit her lip, but nodded.

“Everyone, move! I'm coming in hot!” It took a bit of shimmying to work her way down, her armor catching on the chains. How would Xander and Gunther get through such a tight gap, with so much more armor and wider shoulders than hers? Holding onto the rusty steel for as long as possible, Nerr shut her eyes and dropped. The darkness didn't even seem as complete as when they had been open. She tucked as best she could, trying to brace for an impact without having a clue when she would-- “Fu--!”

Sour water rushed down her throat as she swore in pain, hitting what felt like the bottom of her tub in the citadel. Her coughing and sputtering gave way to retching, but she still managed to crawl away from where she had landed, feeling around blindly for someone else. Azura's face appeared without warning, the soft blue light beneath it giving her the appearance of a submerged corpse.

“Give me your hand.” No sooner had she found the singer's hand than another body landed close to where she had fallen, with an equally loud exclamation. The light from Azura's pendant only lit the area immediately surrounding it, so Nerr had to count the splashes and voices. Hinoka was the loudest, screaming at the top of her lungs when she hit the ground, a string of words she could barely decipher that were certainly cursing the gods' mothers. She may not have even noticed Kaze was amongst them had his voice not come from behind her soon after. One and then another and then another.

“Nerr? Nerr, where are you?!” Gunther's frantic splashing could have woken the entire castle had the screaming of the Vallites above them not been so raucous. The chains rattled and groaned as they piled onto them. The tiny square of light above them grew darker and darker as more bodies tried to squeeze through the gaps, follow their quarry's suit. A gentle green glow illuminated Takumi's hands and face for a single moment before he vanished, the light cutting through the air and striking where the door had been seconds ago. It was once again bright as bodies were torn apart, falling between the chains and splashing around them, but darkness quickly overtook it once again, a slower, creeping darkness.

The light of Leo's tome was negligible, but the groan of branches and roots braiding together into a thick wall was all the evidence they needed of its spell. When the last sliver of light from above was gone, it took the sounds of screaming and howling with it. The occasional groan of pain came from one of their own, and even they were nearly drowned out by the soft lapping of water around their shins. A hand snaked around her wrist and she'd have screamed had she not caught a familiar scent under the reek of stagnant water and blood.

“Are you alright, Nerr? I heard you scream.”

“I'm fine.” Her roiling stomach said otherwise. “I was expecting a longer fall and couldn't brace myself.” Gunther released her, and she was left feeling blindly in the dark for any sign of him or anybody else. “For fucks sake, there has to be wall sconce somewhere in here!” She pulled out the Yato, then immediately replaced it in its sheath in disgust, the light emanating from the gilded blade not even enough to reveal the stones set within it. The white-hot curvature of the Raijinto coming closer preceded Ryouma's voice.

“We need to find a wall first, but we need to stay close together. Come to me, Nerrida.” She scrambled for Azura's hand for a moment, pulling her over as well. Despite the cold air, their huddled mass was uncomfortably humid. She could not keep a grip on the Vallite princess's hand  _ and _ feel for... anything, but someone's gauntlet found stone, scraping against it for a moment before a wave of light cut through the darkness. A chorus of pained exclamations filled with chamber as they shielded their eyes in spite of how dim the light truly was. It barely cut through the shadows, but after fumbling around in such complete black, a fire right over Nerr's head was blinding.

“Who did that? What's going on?”

“There was something on the wall,” Gunther told her as he approached from the far end of the room. “I thought it might have been a switch- the damn thing shocked me.” Xander ran his hands along the closest wall, frowning deeper the longer he kept contact.

“There's a Dragon Vein running through this stone.” He turned, eyes narrowed, towards the older knight. “You know damn well you found no hidden switch. How in seven hells does a peasant not only luck his way into finding a Dragon Vein, but somehow trigger it?” Gunther's lips pressed into a thin line.

“I don't think I appreciate your tone, my liege. I've done nothing wrong--”

“You've done  _ something _ wrong. What did you do, sneak into the royal treasury and steal the Dragon's Blood there, thinking it might help you kill my father in his bed?”

“Xander, stop! You sound like a crazy person!”

“ _ I _ sound crazy?” He stared at Nerr with wide eyes, the fire shining in them unnaturally bright. “Do you not find this situation even  _ remotely _ suspect, sister??”

“No! It's not suspect, it's...” She sighed. “ _ I _ gave him Dragon's Blood.  _ My _ blood.” Camilla gawked at her, some ugly emotion caught between disgust and disbelief twisting her lips.

“... _ why?” _

“For reasons we have no time to delve into. Should we not prefer to have someone else to help us see things that we might miss?”

“Like those bones over there?” Lazwald asked.

“Exactly, like those bones... what?” She followed his finger towards a corner of the room several feet from them, where the stone protruded from the wall in a distinct arch, implying a door just hidden from view. Breath catching in her throat, Nerr stepped towards the pile laying before it. Half in shadows, the bones jutted out in strange angles, like hastily piled tinder, black mold crawling over them. She could just begin to pick out individual bones as she stepped closer. Ribs linking together and skulls falling between them. Arms. Many arms leaning against the door she couldn't see, reaching up, clawing at the wood in desperation as they breathed their final breaths. Even huddled on the ground, the water didn't cover their heads. Camilla stepped beside her, shaking her head.

“There are more in other corners. There must be at least fifty bodies in this room alone. They couldn't have drowned...” Nerr walked closer, nearly tripping as she stepped on something that rolled out from under her foot. An arm or leg. The yellow bones were crumbling in places, leaving many of the few skulls she could see caved in, many hands without fingers, arms without hands even though almost all still leaned against the ancient door. What she had taken for mold at first glance wasn't as slimy as the walls.

Under the flickering of the torches, she could see vividly the soot burnt into the bones where the flesh had gone first. Splintery trenches had been gouged deep into the door, where they tried to claw their way free as flames must have filled the room, heat rushing down into their lungs, cooking them from the inside,  _ the blackened skin split open like the crust on a roast, the meat so overdone it was falling off the bone-- _ She could only make it a few steps before heaving violently, the already putrid water around her feet warming as vomit splashed into it.

“N-nee-sama? What's wrong?”

“We're splashing around in corpse water; what do you-- ugh, what do you  _ think _ is wrong, Saku--?” Takumi sounded like he was trying not to retch, and fighting a losing battle as he too gagged. Kaze approached the door, inspecting it rather than the bones he leaned over. Thin brows drew together in confusion as he ran his hand over the warped wood. 

“What is it?” Hinoka's voice was tight with pain, but she didn't even let loose the slightest whimper as she hopped over, her weight mostly supported by Leo on one side and a rather reluctant-looking Odin on the other. Kaze spared her only a quick glance, his focus consumed by the door.

“This is a western-style door.”

“That's not surprising since even the castle's exterior has heavy Rigelian influences.” Xander's voice still carried an edge, but the ninja paid it no mind.

“But there's no handle.”

“What?”

“There are hinges. Caked in rust, yes, but they still exist. The door clearly swings open, but there isn't a handle, a knob, not even  a groove.” Wiping her mouth as best she could with the end of her stump, Nerr approached the door yet again, keeping her eyes on the wood and not the unusually small set of finger bones splayed across it.

A cursory glance revealed the iron plate where the handle had been, but the handle had been filed off- the edges were too even to have broken as brittle metal might. She pushed against the door once, twice, putting as much weight as she could behind her arm. The second time, the hinges groaned, opening only an inch before the wood hit something on the other side. It was faint, but Nerr was certain she heard the all-too familiar rattle of chains. A glance at her siblings confirmed her suspicion. Lazwald swallowed, taking an unconscious half step back.

“No... That's... that's too cruel...”

“Were you expecting kindness from this monster?” Azura snapped. “After traveling through the land, after seeing what he's done to his people, did you think he was above--” Her voice broke and she turned away, narrow shoulders shaking.

“Considering what we bore witness to outside, we'd best prepare ourselves for worse as we go further into the castle. But we'll have to actually  _ leave _ this hellish pit to do so. Step aside.”

Leo flipped open his tome, the pages sticking together slightly. The water bubbled and swirled as thick branches erupted from the ground, scattering the bones before smashing through the door. The magical trees could snap the long rusted iron bars that held the door together with ease, but the chains on the other side did not so much as bend. Fortunately, despite there being more than what barred the cellar, these chains had gone somewhat slack. A narrow stone staircase led to another door, this one's handle intact at the very least.

Kaze was the first to step through the chains, holding them up for Nerr and Ryouma to pass. The Hoshidan prince took the stairs two at a time, each step looking as strained as it did angry. By the time Nerr reached him, he had opened the door a solid few inches. There were no chains barring their way this time, but the entire perimeter of the door was overgrown in what she could only describe as an organic rust. It caked like rust, but had an unusual give to it, very much like flesh, as it was scraped against the door frame. Edging onto the top step, she lent her weight to Ryouma's efforts. As it dragged across the ground, it left a wet, foul smelling smear. The adjoining room was dark, but not the impenetrable black of the cellar. Torches flickered so far down  distant halls that they looked like candles. Both siblings held their breath, listening for tell-tale steps or growls. Nerr could hear nothing but the pounding of her heart in her ears and the water dripping from her armor. Ryouma straightened, but the frown never left his lips.

“    I'm not certain we should press on just yet.”

“You think there are more people out there?”

“I have no idea what foul homunculi await us down those halls, but that isn't the problem, sister,” He glanced down at her. “Those bones were burnt. The doors chained shut. Anankos trapped his people in there and burned them alive. Who's to say he isn't planning to do the same to us?” Of course he was right, but... She shrugged wearily, heading back down the stairs. Every step felt like she might simply collapse then and there. 

“He could just as easily drop the entire castle on us if he so pleased. We will scout ahead, but for now, we need to get out of that water before it gives us a bloody flux.”

The floor above them gave under their weight in places and stank to high hell, but it was relatively dry. Xander and Takumi sat Hinoka down, and she leaned against the nearest wall, paying no mind to the slime mold seeping into her robes. Kaze had to cut her boot halfway down for Sakura to assess her injury, his kunai slicing cleanly through the soft white leather. A sliver of bone had pierced through her long socks, the bright red that should have surrounded the swollen calf lightened to a dingy pink by the filthy water she had landed in. Leo paled as she rolled down the stocking, revealing bruises and raw scrapes running up to her knee.

“That's going to fester.”

“It's fresh!” She argued back, gritting her teeth as she reached the actual injury. The young prince shook his head.

“Every person in this nightmare is infected with... whatever they're infected with. How long were those bodies stewing in that flooded basement that you were just crawling around in with your  _ fresh _ injury?” Selena gagged, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Stop. I'm gonna be sick...!” Leo did not stop, however, whipping open his tome.

“That leg needs to come off before it spreads to the rest of you.” Grabbing her naginata, Hinoka swung the butt end at him, knocking Brynhildr from his hands just as it's pages began to glow.

“Don't you fucking dare! If it spreads, then I'll fight Anankos as a mushroom-riddled freak, but I'm not about to become a cripple!” She balked suddenly, looking towards Nerr with a deep remorse in her eyes. “I didn't mean--”

“You meant what you meant. And I agree with you- you won't be fighting any battles with one leg. And none of us will be fighting battles until we can reach the throne room. Which means we need to scout ahead and see which paths are safest to take.” She turned towards the trio of foreigners, who were still lingering near the door leading back into the cellar. “Do I see three volunteers?”

“I think not.” The red-haired woman sniped, her jaw tightly clenched, though her anger was diminished by the green tinging her cheeks. “Why should we be your sacrificial lambs? Send that Lilith thing ahead. You can't tell me she doesn't know this castle considering what she is. I know she's watching us. I can feel eyes  _ everywhere _ .” She glared at the stuck door, as if it would suddenly reveal itself to be Lilith. Nerr too had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, a sure sign that someone yet unseen had seen her, but that was not the feeling she got from her equerry.

“Lilith cannot be our scout because  _ she _ is valuable. Who will bring our army to us if some freak ambushes her? You bring nothing to our cause, aside from lip. The least you can do is make sure the way ahead is safe for the rest of us.”

“The warp orb you need is still in Krakenburg somewhere!” Lazwald argued. “We're the only ones that know what it looks like  _ and _ can actually look for it without being captured on sight. You won't be bringing more than a few foot soldiers here without our aide, milady.” 

“ _ OR... _ ” Odin muttered with a false smile, “We could use it to go back to Ylisse and bring back something that could actually  _ hurt _ Anankos, instead of just making him angry and prompting him to turn us into  _ Risen _ .” 

“What in the hell is a 'Risen'?” Ryouma prompted, but Xander's voice drowned his out. 

“Where is this Ylisse? I thought you said you hailed from Archanea?” 

“Shut up, Odin...” Selena whispered through gritted teeth. The blonde mage rounded on her. 

“No! I won't shut up, Severa! Even  _ I _ see how crazy this is! We have nothing. We  _ are _ nothing! If he actually wanted someone to stop him, he'd have gone after Lucina, or Chrom, or  _ anybody but us! _ He tricked us into coming here to die, just like Grima did to our parents!” He doubled over, panting hard. Lazwald approached him slowly, as if worried he might lash out at him. 

“Odin... Owain... we thought it was hopeless against Grima, too, but we were wrong then, and you're wrong now--” 

“No, I'm not! It was luck that he died, pure dumb luck! Even with a god's power behind us, it all came down to luck, and not even  _ our _ luck! We need to go back home.” 

“We can't. That's a one-way trip.” Odin straightened, looking far calmer as he nodded. 

“...I know. That's why it's what we have to do.” He reached into his bag, pulling out a tome similar to Elises' Ragnarök, but far thicker. Opening it's cover revealed that the pages had been cut through, hollowing it out just enough for a small, opalescent orb to be set within it. Selena's eyes flashed with indignant fury.

“What the fuck, Owain?! You lied to us!!” 

“I  _ protected _ us! We've been the gods' playthings long enough. They've deceived us and used us as pawns to fight their battles, and for what? What future did we fight for? One we won't even witness?” When he blinked, fat tears rolled down his cheeks, but his voice did not waver. “The fighting  _ just _ stopped. We  _ just _ got our lives back. Don't you want to actually live them?” 

“...of course I do.” He whirled around as Lazwald took another step towards him, arms outstretched, imploring. “I've only had two real conversations with my father; of course I want more. Of course I want to see my mother again... but I always knew there was a chance that I wouldn't. And so did you. And so did Severa. We had our futures ripped from us, and we swore that we would do anything to protect someone else's.” He reached out further, his hand expectant now. “We made a vow, and we have to keep it. Just give me the orb, and we can end this.” 

He took another step, half of a step, really, as the lumpy ground at Odin's feet flashed briefly. Lazwald didn't even register the crack, his expression unchanged as he toppled over backwards. Only when he hit the ground did the shock seem to register, quickly turning to something between fear and disbelief as blood pooled beneath him. Sakura screamed, covering her face with her hands, and though Elise tried to approach, clutching her staff, Xander held her back, his sword drawn with a shaking hand. Odin paid the prince no mind, staring down at his fallen comrade, tears flowing faster now, his breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps.

“You knew this would happen. We all knew this would happen! We're all going to die! Anankos is going to kill us all, that's what gods do: they kill everything! We're all going to die screaming!!” The orb rattled against the pages as his hand shook, threatening to drop the tome, but his other was steady as he raised it. “My parents died to spare me that fate once... I can't let anyone make their sacrifice be in vain--!” As quickly as his feet were illuminated by the light of the runes encircling them, they were snuffed out. 

He dropped the tome, the orb contained within bouncing frightfully high but not breaking, both hands going toward the crimson point protruding from his gut. It was withdrawn with a wet sucking noise, blood leaking heavily from the hole left behind, squeezing between his fingers as he tried to staunch the flow. Groaning softly, he fell to his knees, then onto his side, red blooming over his crumpled cloak. Selena- no, what did they call her? Severa?- gasped for breath as she stared at the fallen mage. Despite both hands being wrapped around the grip, her sword slipped from her fingers, hitting the ground with a muffled thump. She backed away from the quickly stilling body until her shoulders hit the wall behind her. An ear-piercing wail left her lips as she slid down the wall, the thick sleeves she buried her face in doing little to muffle her sobs or the words she spat between them.

“He was right. Why did he have to be right!?” Azura swallowed hard before she spoke, her hoarse whisper barely audible over the other woman's cries.

“He wasn't right. He...” She sighed, pushing the hair back from her face. It was impossible to tell if her cheeks were damp from the fetid water she'd fallen into or the tears that moistened her eyes. “This is what Anankos does. He drives people to madness, and those who are already fragile are even more susceptible to his curse. Odin... Owain... it was cruel happenstance that he succumbed to this beast's dark thoughts, but he was wrong. We are  _ not _ the gods' playthings. And if we die, it will not be cowering in fear. We will take that monster with us.” Selena only shook her head, her body still heaving as she fought to speak past her moaning. 

“No... He  _ is _ right... Grima tricked our parents, and Anankos tricked us just as easily. He lied, every word out of his mouth was a lie, and we should have known but we were too  _ stupid _ , and now... Gods, what am I going to Kjelle? Or Lissa?! Even if I could go back, I can't go back alone!” Her words grew incomprehensible as she dissolved into tears once more.

“Oh, sweetie...” Camilla approached her, attempting to embrace her, but the red-haired woman pushed her away, curling tighter into herself. Despite her thoughts being all a-jumble, one managed to untangle itself from the rest. Nerr tore her gaze away from the dead mercenary, eyes narrowing as they landed on his still living companion.

“...Anankos tricked you? Anankos  _ spoke _ to you? When? How? Wa-- ...was he the mysterious man who brought you here?” The way Severa stiffened answered the princess' question, and any sense of grief or horror she may have felt were at once consumed by fury. “Anankos himself brought you here and told you to lead us to his stronghold. And you  _ unquestioningly did it, without  _ **_telling us?!”_ **

“Nerr, that's enough! This is not the time for... chastising anyone!” Camilla hissed sharply, but she would not be guilted into silence. 

“This is  _ their fault! _ I  _ knew _ they couldn't be trusted! You...” She pointed at the girl on the ground, her finger trembling in rage. “You stay here, with your conspirators--”

“Nerr!”

“And if you dare show your face to me again, you'll join them!” 

She turned on her heel, every instinct telling her to press forward before the traitor in their midst sent some unseen signal to Anankos to descend upon them and swallow them whole, but with a fair bit of effort, she restrained her steps. Instead, Nerr walked to the fallen tome, kicking away the frayed yellow cloak in her way and plucking the orb from it's warped pages. It fit neatly in the palm of her hand, but was otherwise exactly the same as Lilith's. It took a great deal of effort to not crush it, knowing that Anankos had gifted it to his underlings so they could flee after luring her to his trap. Xander approached, placing his hand over hers, stilling its tremors. For a blissfully short moment, she thought he was trying to calm her, but a quick glance up revealed the anger and disappointment etched in the hardness of his eyes and lips.

“Your behavior is out of line, Nerr. I never thought I would need to tell  _ you _ that a commander must know when to show compassion.” She stared at him, lips parted as she tried to find her words.

“...why would you say that, Xander? Why would you open your mouth and say those words?  _ You _ let those vipers in our bosom. Camilla and Leo are fools who employ thieves and assassins to guard them-  _ you're _ supposed to be the smart one. The responsible one!  _ You _ were supposed to be suspicious and suss out those that would harm us! How long has that spy been whispering in your ear?” His lips thinned in rage. 

“Do you think for a moment that I would allow anyone with ill intentions into my service? Lazwald was--”

“--sent here by the monster that wants to raze Nohr to the ground!” She snatched her hand away. “You...! ...you scout ahead.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Did I stutter? Since you don't seem to view Anankos as a threat, surely you won't mind making sure our way to him is clear.” The anger gave way to indignation, but only for a moment before Xander schooled his expression into a calm, collected mask once more.

“I shall, Nerr, as the only alternative is being lead into the darkness by a silly little fool who already tried to rush us ahead to an early grave. But let this be a final warning to you, little princess; conceal your emotions. This is not the time nor place for you to make enemies.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- You may notice there's a bit of a jump between the end of the last chapter and the start of this one. Or you may not. It doesn't matter. I'vd come to the conclusion that I difn't care- I wanted to be done with the filler, regardless of the bearing it has on the plot. I wanted to be done with the plot, I wanted to be done with everything. I wanted it to end.


	26. Cold, Dark Halls

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Ch.26- “Cold, Dark Halls”

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Xander was gone for quite some time, but there were no faint growls or shrieks in the darkness, no cries of shock or pain. The only cries came from behind them where Severa or Selena or whatever her name was continued sniveling behind them. Guilt gnawed incessantly at her conscience, but Nerr hardened her heart to the pitiful whimpers. She did not mourn for Iago, she felt no guilt for Hans, so why should these snakes be considered with more compassion? Her fingers dug into the thick fabric of her cloak, no longer sodden but still wet. She'd had to tuck away the orb Odin-wain had tried to conceal from them, lest she shatter the damned thing. She wished Lilith would come for it, but surely the small dragon popping into the castle would be a beacon for Anankos. While he surely knew they were in his lair, Nerr still held out hope that he didn't have their exact location, a hope bolstered by Nohr's crown prince returning from the black hallway unscathed. 

“Well?” Takumi prompted. 

“There was little more than this as far as I went.” Xander gestured widely to the chamber they stood in, with it's mildew and rust and fleshy floor. “There are more stairs, and while I didn't hear anything above me, I wasn't willing to go that far on my own.” 

“As long as there isn't anything in the immediate area, it's safer than where we came from.” Even as she spoke of safety, Nerr unsheathed the Yato. The grip felt unusually awkward under her gauntlet, but she would keep it at the ready. “Hinoka, can you walk?” Sakura had healed their elder sister as best as she was able, but pain could and often did linger even after flesh and bone was mended. The red-haired princess climbed to her feet, her face pinched as agony clearly shot through her, but she endured it in silence, even bending to retrieve her Amaterasu. 

“Better than before.” 

“...good. Try to stay in the middle of the group. To arms, everyone.” 

“Wait.” Leo's voice was so quiet, she almost didn't hear him. He knelt beside his fallen retainer, still and silent as the body at his knees. “We can't... just leave them here. Not like this. They'll turn into those...  _ things _ .” They would turn into mindless beasts regardless. Just like Jakob, who she thought would at least be left in peace in death, but no. There was no point wasting time to try and delay the inevitable. The words were already on her tongue, but they twisted into something else as they left her lips. 

“You'd best be quick about it then, brother.” 

There was nothing beneath them but Anankos only knew how many catacombs, but Leo was nothing if not resourceful. Thick vines and roots broke through the warped stone, weaving together over the bodies. Blood still leaked around the base, but they were hidden from view in their wooden cocoons, which hopefully would not break open to reveal when their inevitable transformation was complete. Selena sobbed harder, turning her face away from the sight. If it were up to her, Nerr would have preemptively caged her away too. Pain shot through her temples, and she worked to loosen her jaw, stepping towards the arched entrance to the adjacent hall. 

The floor leading into the passage had even more give, and seemed to stick to the soles of her feet. It reflected the dim light cast by her Yato, but she did not indulge in more than a passing glance. If she saw what she was stepping in, she might have refused to move forward. If Azura held the same reservations, she hid them well, her own steps unfaltering. 

“Do you know where we are, Azura? Relative to the throne room, I mean.” 

“No. My mother and I fled Valla when I was barely more than a baby. I only remember the halls being bright, and beautiful.” Her voice was tight, but it did not waver. The footsteps of the others falling in line behind them brought no sense of security this time. Every sucking, squelching noise turned Nerr's stomach even more. There were braziers along the walls, but most of them were long extinguished, and those that still guttered produced more smoke than light. It helped cover the stench of mold and decay, but added to the oppressive humidity that only seemed to increase the further along they went. A short, but horridly loud shriek jolted through her, and by the time she'd whirled around, everyone's weapons had been raised. Elise had stumbled back from the wall, hugging herself tightly. 

“Something touched me!” Takumi lowered his bow, lips curled into a repulsed sneer. 

“You're going to alert the whole damn castle just because you bumped into the wall?” The young princess met his scowl with a glare, but in the low light, her face seemed more livid with fear than anger. 

“I didn't bump into anything! I wasn't anywhere near the wall! Something  _ touched _ me- it reached out and touched my face!” Moaning in distress, she rocked side to side. Ryouma raised his sword, the little arcs of lightning jumping over the blade making shadows dance over the uneven surface. Thin, bone white roots clung to the stones, branching out into fibers so fine they looked like a woman's splayed out hair. Several had come detached from the wall, hanging limply, glistening in the sword's light.

“It must have just been a root, Princess Elise. Nothing to be afraid of.” His voice was almost mellow, and may have had a calming effect at any other time, but the Nohrian girl just shook her head wildly. 

“I know what plants feel like, and it didn't feel like a plant. It was  _ wet _ . Like something licked me!” It sounded crazy, but Nerr was beyond skepticism at this point. 

“You have your tome, yes?” Her sister nodded weakly. “Well, the next time something tries to taste you, instead of screaming, just set it on fire.” 

“Is it wise to advocate sending balls of fire blindly into the darkness?” She could hear Gunther's frown even if she couldn't see him. 

“I'd gladly risk us setting one another ablaze if the alternative was an ambush.” Ahead, the darkness was not nearly so absolute, almost bright in comparison to the corridor they'd stood in, but they would have to work to achieve even a semblance of safety. The floor was uneven, the stones broken in some places, wrenched up in others. Hinoka swore as she stumbled hard. It reminded Nerr of the forests they had run fled through, clambering over the massive roots of ancient trees. But familiar as it seemed, the amount of give belied anything so natural. More of the sconces were lit this far down the hall, mostly weak embers with the occasional enchanted flame casting an eerie violet glow over them. Whatever color the walls had been in Azura's childhood, they now blended grotesque reds and oranges and browns. 

It was easy to assume it was a trick of the poor lighting, but as they approached the adjoining chamber, it was made clear that the decay the castle had fallen into was not only figurative. There were thin windows, high up and mostly shuttered but several were open enough to allow a few slivers of pale gray light into the room, highlighting the twisted nightmare they had entered. The thin filaments they had passed were thicker here, organic ropes thick as a man's arm woven in and out of the stone, which itself was thick with slime mold that congealed and dripped in patterns that looked far too similar to tumorous flesh, especially with the darker veins that snaked throughout and the way it seemed to pulsate in the flickering light. Sakura pressed her fingers to her lips to try and stifle her whimpers.

“N-nee-sama...” She whispered to Azura, moving to stand behind the Vallite princess. “How bi-- how big are the-- the spiders in Va-Valla...?” Her brows furrowed in confusion, but coupled with the greenish tinge her skin had taken, her expression looked more akin to nausea. 

“They're normal, just like Hoshido's. Why?” Sniffling, Sakura pointed up as best she could with her shaking finger. Clumps of thick off-white webs stretched between the eaves. There were several stuck to the walls farthest from them as well, like the little white balls Nerr would find throughout the Citadel, egg sacks. Kaze shook his head slowly, eyes drifting the length of the ceiling. 

“Those aren't webs crafted by any spider, milady. They're full of bones.” A single thought filled Nerr's mind. ' _ No.' _ Even as she looked closer at the sheer netting on the walls and noticed the ribs and vertebrae entangled within, partially fused with the stone behind, she still denied it in her mind. 

“There are ropes up there.” She could barely hear Shura, his voice unusually quiet. “Looks like someone wasn't content with using a tree. Fucking hell, I thought I knew what monsters were...” 

“They're bodies, like the ones we've seen dozens of times before. What are we getting all upset over? The fact that they're not on a battlefield, riddled with arrows?” The nonchalance in Camilla's voice rang false, but she spoke the truth as they all could tell. 

“Yeah,” Hinoka's voice cracked slightly and she cleared her throat, forcing more confidence into her tone. “Yeah! What kind of cravens are we, spooked senseless by some dusty old bones?” Gripping her naginata far too tightly to effectively wield it if need be, the Hoshidan princess limped into the room and looked around as the others followed, some more reluctant than others. “They're just bones!” Her already strained grin twisted into a grimace. “...some of them have meat on them... a lot of meat...”

Her gaze had fallen on a rather large lump, more flesh than bone. Were it just the foul pink and purple and gray tendrils that snaked between the fragments of bone, it wouldn't have been any more upsetting than the rest of the chamber. The legs that protruded from the bottom of the mass were not what one would call “meat”, however. Though devoid of any musculature and the bones could be seen clearly beneath the skin, they were perfectly intact, dangling there as if the person they belonged to had been hung neatly, like a cloak. Similar lumps, stuck to the walls with nets of glistening fibers, were visible far, far down the halls. Vaguely, Nerr wondered if this was meant to be another gruesome trail of signposts, or if these were simply trophies for Anankos. 

     “Stay away from the walls. Who knows what dark magic is responsible for these things.” Even as the words left her mouth, Ryouma had inched closer, prodding the emaciated foot with the point of his sword. She blinked and saw nothing. Quickly retreating back to others, the samurai's jaw clenched. 

“Stay alert. I worry some of these things may yet be alive.”

The halls, though considerably wider, felt claustrophobic when they had to avoid the walls, even more so when the walls seemed to shift and pulsate in response to their passing. But when Nerr blinked, they would still. Hinges peeked through the viscera on the walls, indicating doors they could not access. Who knew how many bones were piled against the other side? Stairways that led higher up were blocked by barred doors, but after years of damp, the iron had all but crumbled, breaking apart as Gunther sought to pull one open. They were cramped corridors, a servant's path lit only by the light of their weapons. The stone swayed under Nerr's feet and she pitched forward, catching herself awkwardly. 

“Be careful, milady,” Kaze helped right her. “These steps are all different heights.” For every step they took, several more seemed to sprout up. Nerr's thighs burned as she overextended to reach some of the taller stairs. She could only imagine the hell Sakura and Elise, the only members of their party with shorter legs than her, were enduring. But they suffered in silence, the only sounds the increasingly labored breathing as they climbed without stopping, no end in sight. 

“Fuck!” They all jumped as Shura swore loudly behind them. 

“Don't do that!” Azura hissed at him. The pirate ignored her, rubbing his head. 

“Then warn a guy when the ceiling drops!” 

“What are you talking about? There's plenty of headroom.” Takumi frowned at him, and the older man returned it with interest. 

“Maybe for you, little boy. This staircase is getting more and more cramped with every step.” Xander edged past the Kougan, stopping short and wincing as the top of his head collided with something Nerr could not see. 

“He's right. Soon we'll have to crawl.” The Norhian princess clambered up a few more steps and frowned as something brushed against her pauldron. She leaned against the slick wall, bracing herself as best she could as she reached out for the opposite wall with her foot. Her knee bent. 

“It's getting more narrow, too. What the hell is wrong with these walls?” In frustration, she pushed against the stone, her heel tearing through the greasy black barrier. 

“What did you do?!” Leo looked on in horror. “You broke through stone!” The sudden lack of anything bracing dropped Nerr to her ass, and she had to pull her leg free. 

“It's not stone, you saddle-goose. Have you ever seen stone tear like that?” Hinoka limped forward, squinting at the hole. She dug her Amaterasu into it, tearing larger and larger gashes into it until... 

“There's another room here. It's kind of a drop down, but at least it's not pitch black.” Kaze was the first volunteer, squeezing through the gap and lowering himself down. He landed with a splash, though not nearly as loud as the cellar had been. 

“It's not that high of a jump!” As Nerr wedged her head and shoulders through the gap, she could not shake the feeling of working her way into an open wound. Everything looked like a long way down from up high, but she had jumped from higher. It was maybe four feet off the ground, but the sodden ground made for unstable footing. 

“Why is this flood flooded?” Elise whined as she slid down into Xander's waiting arms. “We're up high. Where's all this water coming from?” Nerr's first thought was that the bones scattered around the base of the walls had something to do with it, but kept that thought to herself, instead focusing on the doors. They weren't sealed shut with the viscera from the floors below, despite it covering the walls, which left her wondering how the water didn't drain. 

“We have six... four doors to choose from.” Even though they could see the cracks around the door frame, the masses on the walls were too close to some of the doors, several hands protruding from one locked in position trying to reach the closest door. 

“Before we make any choices, we should clear this room. We don't know what these things can do if we get too close.” The air around Siegfried shimmered as Xander raised it, approaching one of the masses and slashing at it. Loose flesh split open, spilling bones and clumps in a foul gray and red slush into the water. The stench was unlike anything Nerr had ever smelled, every type of rotting flesh mixed together and left to ferment. Takumi and Azura immediately began retching, and she fought her heaving stomach and burning eyes to avoid doing the same. 

The door those disembodied arms reached for seemed to be in the best shape, with the least rust on it's hinges, it's handle still perfectly intact.  She wished she could put her hand on the Yato's pommel to add more force to her thrust as she drove it into the center of the lump. Xander made it look easy, as if it were held together with old cheesecloth, but Nerr had never encountered flesh so thick and tough. The golden blade must have caught on flat bone, for it would not sink in any further. A muffled keen, still high enough to set her teeth on edge seemed to emanate from the hole she had cut into the flesh. The arms jerked, hands seizing while others clawed at the air around them. Nerr hadn't dropped her sword in shock in nearly a decade, but her hand released from the grip instinctively as she tried to put as much distance between the writhing, squealing mound of flesh and herself as possible. 

Camilla quickly took her place, rearing back before swinging her ax with as much weight as she could put behind it. The silver head split through muscle and bone, frost branching out over the flesh and turning it black before it was coated in white. The Yato fell into the water along with several chunks, but the whine only grew louder. Another mass, several feet from them, had been roused by the commotion. Something that once may have resembled a face protruded from one side of the flesh, the largest hole gaping and emanating a wail of pure agony that bounced off the walls. Nerr scrambled for her sword in the filthy water, but before she could raise it, a pale green light touched the lumpy mass, reducing it to a  thick, pulpy hail. 

Takumi stopped heaving long enough to bend his bow, but as the malodor filled the air anew, he doubled over once more. The water rippled as meat continued dropping into it, but the ripple spread out too far, and came too fast. The ground pulsed beneath her heels, but even as she tried to convince herself that it was just the uneven stone playing tricks on her mind, the others began taking notice of the floor. A quick, muffled thud broke through the relative silence, followed by another, then another. The already warped wood of one of the doors bowed outwards slightly, before bursting off its hinges in a shower of splinters. A mass of vaguely human shapes spilled forth, arms and legs peeling away from the gelatinous lump and crawling towards them. Other landed atop their fellows, crushing them and growing larger as they absorbed the fallen into themselves. Xander raised his sword high, the crack of magic swallowed by the splashing and gurgling as faster creatures filled the room. Sheathing her blade, Nerr grabbed the intact door handle, nearly wrenching her arm from it's socket as she tugged and tugged on the iron. It gave under her persistence, slowly at first, then swinging open. 

“This way!” The hall was dark, but it was empty at a glance. Camilla and Hinoka rushed through with their younger sisters, Azura falling in step behind them. She could not fumble for her sword quickly enough as cold, clammy hands wound around her greaves, seeping into the seams of her armor. She instead brought her heel down upon the dark shape in the water, feeling only a slight give before it popped. A large hand shoved her into the door, but she could not see who it belonged to. Bodies piled in behind her, pushing her forward, her brothers' voices somehow faint yet close to her ear. The floor was slick despite the water not coming up to her ankles. Cold and so smooth she could barely remain upright as she ran, unseen hands still pushing at her back. 

The walls shook around them- not walls, doors, wooden doors that trembled on their hinges as bodies on the other side slammed into them. Some opened, the hinges screaming, providing additional obstacles for them to dodge. She heard something collide with armor behind her, and wondered if it had been Gunther, Xander or Leo who had been hit, but couldn't spare the breath to ask. No one cried out or even swore, so she assumed they were still running. She could only follow the hem of Azura's dress as it flickered in the low, undulating light cast from the Yato. Her shins collided with something hard and she hit the ground, teeth snapping off at the root as her mouth collided with the stone. The others were still running, they couldn't see that she had fallen, she would trip them and they would be caught. 

She pulled herself into the frame of a door left cracked, spitting out blood and teeth rather than risk swallowing the fetid water that mixed with it as sabatons and boots and wet, heavy slaps overtook her. She crawled further into the room, and tried to press herself against the wall, but a watery arm reached inside, clawing at her helm. Her gauntlet punctured the thin membrane, soaking her face in the fetid water, but she slammed the door just in case, pressing her back against it. The wood shook, or maybe she was shaking. Maybe both. The door was soft enough for her fingers to leave indents in it. A strong enough blow could punch through it. The longer she stayed wherever she was, the harder it would be to catch up with the others, and yet, she couldn't tear herself away from the door. 

Maybe that was what had happened to other people in the castle. They had been frozen in place by fear, huddled against doors, trying to barricade them; against walls, praying that the dead that roamed their halls would by some miracle pass them by. Maybe they remained like that for so long, their flesh melded with the surface behind them and the infection they all carried overtook them. Just thinking about it made her itch, and she vaguely wondered if the holes in her gums were already riddled with whatever sickness ruled this horrid land. She spat again, blood and saliva dribbling down her chin.  _ 'I have to go... I have to get out of here...' _ Her legs remained stiff, hand still shaking where it splayed against the wood.  _ 'Just move, you useless fucking coward! Go find the others before the make the mistake of coming back to look for you...!' _

They would find somewhere to stand against the horde that threatened them, they would know they could not outrun them indefinitely. And once they dispatched every creature, they would realize she was not with them. Gunther would probably notice first, and raise a hue and cry most like. Who knew what they would find if they came back this way? Maybe there were more of those things, lying in wait just outside the door. She held her breath, trying to listen for any wet sounds, but everything was wet. It was impossible to tell if the dripping was from the condensation running down the walls, or some behemoth waiting for her to open the door just a crack, and her pounding heart only further muddled together every faint sound. 

“Calm down,” She breathed. “Just calm down. Why aren't you calming down, you silly bitch?” When she was a child, too afraid to lift the covers over her head, she would hum to herself, but the more she wracked her mind trying to think of a comforting melody, the less she remembered.  _ 'Oh gods, I can't remember anything! How long until I forget my name and end up just like Ant...?! No! Shut up, shut up, there's nothing wrong with you, you're just a fucking idiot, like Leo always says...' _ The memory of her brother chastising her idiocy remained clear as day, which quieted her racing thoughts a bit. 

“Nothing's wrong, you're just lost... and crazy... like... Anankos.” She swallowed, the thick metallic buildup in her mouth nauseating her. “So just calm yourself down, like Anankos.” That's what Azura's song was for, Lilith had said. To soothe to soul of a feral beast, and remind it that it was the ocean's gray waves. She tried to mouth the words to herself, but all she could remember was that first verse, a gods-forsaken Ouroboros that never ended. Fucking waves and ravines... “The ravine's darkness... endless abyss... something-something wish...” That was what Izana had said, taken straight from the gods' mouths and delivered with a message some horrid being wanted her to read later.  _ You'll know when... _

Licking the blood crusting over her lips, Nerr fumbled for her sewing kit. It, like everything in her pack, was sodden, the thread unspooled and forming a multicolored knot. All of her needles would rust. She dumped it all out, saving only her tiny gold scissors and a scrap of parchment so wet it was a miracle it hadn't torn yet. Setting it on the ground, she unsheathed her sword, the Yato's glow providing just enough light for her eyes to focus properly. The ink had long since bled and feathered out, leaving Izana's message all but illegible, but water damaged words were a fact of life in the citadel. She scanned the parchment again, and once more, eyes burning from the strain, humming that impossibly familiar tune as her jaw clenched. She had hoped perhaps the Rainbow Sage, or some other benevolent power had foreseen her weakness and sent her words of encouragement. In a strange way, it worked. She definitely felt encouraged, encouraged enough to stand. 

Digging the wet parchment out, she crumpled it and tossed it as far into the darkness of the room as she could, before returning the tiny metal box to the pouch at her hip. Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs and her hand shook around the Yato's hilt, but not from fear. Inhaling deeply, and holding that breath in her lungs until they felt ready to pop, Nerr opened the door as slowly as she could. In the silence, the creaking that would have barely been noticeable otherwise was deafening, but there were no roars or shrieks in response to it. The only sounds remained the faint clanking of her armor as she stepped back into the hall. All was still, like the corridors of the Citadel in the dead of night. She began walking, every step a careful heel-toe, heel-toe, trying to remain as quiet as possible in hopes of catching a familiar voice in the distance. 

There was light, a literal light at the end of the tunnel, but still nothing to break the silence but her armor and breathing. She dared not hum aloud, but sang in her mind, that horrid song, the only phrases she could remember. As the end of the hall came closer and enough light shone into it, she noticed that the stone looked cleaner. Still glistening with condensation (and undoubtedly the remains of some of the monsters that had run past), but lacking the roots and mold and caked blood that covered every inch further down. To one with a more poetic mind than her, it may have seemed symbolic that she would emerge from a dark, hellish abyss into a clean and bright chamber, but all Nerr bothered to think of were the warnings always given to not walk into bright lights at the end of tunnels.  _ 'I shouldn't be going here...' _ She thought as she stepped through. 

The floor dipped and rose, giving the strange symbols painted on the cobble the illusion of movement, aided in no small part by the pools that collected in some of the lower corners. The sconces all remained lit here, their violet flames blinding and dim all at once. She had walked into the center of a maze. That was the same feeling she had gotten from Krakenburg years ago when she first set foot within the grand hall. So many paths leading to so many doors that inevitably led to more paths. She could have walked for days without finding the ballroom, she was certain, but she'd had Camilla and Gunther with her then. Her immediate instinct was to call out for them now, but even she wasn't fool enough to act on such a suicidal thought.  _ 'Hell and damnation, where have you all gone...?' _ The words on her lips when a faint voice rang out through the chamber. It bounced off the many pillars and alcoves, distorting somewhat, but remaining human. 

Desperately wishing she had another hand to cup around her ear to better gauge the direction, the princess took a few tentative steps towards where she  _ thought _ it originated. Another burst of sound, still quiet but more distinct, a trill. A song. She took off after it, trying not to get turned around as it grew louder and softer amidst the echoes. Hollow as it was, she could make out something, a melody, the vague impression of words,  _ destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach _ , her mind supplied. It had to be Azura, they had to know she would find them easily like this, hopefully just her and not Anankos' horde. Water splashed around her ankles as she ran through one of the shallow valleys in the floor, slowing not to wonder how the topography could be so uneven what was surely several stories above ground, but rather, because she could hear the voice clearly now. It still sounded strange, as though it were coming up from a deep well, but it was close. 

__ _ “Tsutau minasugji, sono te ga, hiraku asua wa...” _   That was not Azura. It was a woman's voice, but too deep and, as of late, not hoarse enough to be Azura. The water began to swirl around her feet, and she immediately backtracked to higher ground, but it did not follow her as she feared it might, winding around her ankles to drag her down and drown her. No, the floor glowed with so bright a luminescence that the flames around her seemed like shadows in comparison. It only struck her as familiar when it was too late, and the world went white, as though lightning struck her right between the eyes. She could not contain her cry of pain as she dropped her sword, desperately rubbing her eyes until the burning red faded somewhat. 

“It's wonderful t-to... see you again... I could not b-be... happier...” Nerr fumbled for her sword before attempting to open her eyes. The light was gone, leaving the chamber so much darker than it had been even though every flame was still lit. In its place stood a figure at once alien and all too familiar. She looked exactly as she had the day Nerr arrived in Shirasagi, awaiting death, right down to the way she clasped her hand together. “Nerrida... I'm s-so... happy...” 

Hers was not a stutter like Sakura's; it sounded like two people were trying to speak at once and interrupting each other, ripples spreading across its form each time. She would not turn her back on this creature wearing her mother's face, but she would not be drawn in like Azura had been. Still facing it, the Nohrian princess began walking around woman, giving her-  _ it _ \- a wide berth. Mikoto's face frowned, brows furrowing. 

“Nerrida... wh-what... are you--” 

“Silence, monster.” She'd almost made it to the other side when the thing moved. At once, she quickened her steps, but the uneven ground made her stumble. She expected this  _ thing _ to descend upon her and tear her throat out, just as the Arete beast had done, but it didn't. It approached, but only taking small, almost nervous steps. 

“Please, Nerrida... you m-must... calm down. I've come to h-help... you--” 

“Get back! You  _ aren't _ my mother!” 

“My d-dear... sweet girl... please--” She expected it to shriek as the Yato cut through it, perhaps some unhuman burbling followed by a splash as it drenched her in filth once more, but no. There was no water, only smoke curling around the golden blade as Mikoto recoiled. Nerr balked as the figure came back together, not so much as a drop dampening her fuller. 

“What fresh hell--?” 

“My child--” 

“Shut up, you're not my mother!” She did turn her back on it this time, running for all she was worth. This was one of Iago's tricks, even though Iago was dead and it couldn't be him. He had killed those guards in Kazeho and she hadn't been able to touch him. She could already feel the flames licking at her back. She was so engrossed in her terror that she didn't notice the flash until she had run through it, coughing as the foul smoke made its way up her nose and in her mouth. It felt damp against her skin, more fog than smoke. What she didn't inhale swirled and coalesced into the form of the late empress of Hoshido once again, but Nerr could not give it more than a passing glance. 

“Nerr-tan, please! I'm n-not... what you think!” 

“I think you're dead!”  _ 'I saw you die...!' _ She had felt the blood, the same blood that flowed through her veins, soak into her clothes, hot against her skin even as her mother grew colder. A fool who doomed her empire because she couldn't take 'no' for an answer. 

In her haste to put as much distance between herself and this spectre as possible, Nerr had neglected paying attention to where she was going, and found herself facing a wall. She turned, her stomach dropping at the sight of this ghastly Mikoto approaching her, every step calm and poised in a way that would have been insulting had they not been so terrifying. Those sad eyes were a trick to make her lower her guard, but Nerr would not fall for it. If she were to die, it would not be for lack of vigilance. 

“You are r-right... I am... d-dead. My body... exists as a-a... puppet of Anankos...” 

“Then what are  _ you _ supposed to be? A ghost?” Her lips quirked up, drawing Nerr's attention to the mole at their corner. Bile filled her throat. 

“Perhaps... The spirit is s-strong... but the body weak... Your f-friends...” The older woman pointed westward, and while she did not dare look, the princess made a mental note of the angle of the translucent finger. “They fled that way. I tr-tried... to guide them... somewhere s-safer... There are traps... Those d-doors... only open th-the blue.” Her jaw tightened, sending a sharp jolt through her cracked teeth. 

“Why should I believe a word you say?” Mikoto's spirit or what have you, closed its eyes, looking sad and tired and old. 

“I cannot convince y-you... now anymore than I could in Sh-Shirasagi... but in your heart... you know I s-speak... the truth... You know all I want... is for you t-to be... safe... it's all I've e-ever... wanted...” 

It grew fainter with every word, it's voice fading as well, until Nerr found herself alone once again, with only unpleasant memories ringing in her ears. There was no guarantee that it was actually gone, but she wouldn't be able to protect herself from any attacks regardless. Finally letting her gaze drift towards where the wraith had indicated, she noticed several doors looming above her. Age had worn down the wood, but there were a few patches where ancient paint remained deep in the grain. The blue her mother's voice mentioned looked more green than anything, but it was the only one that wasn't any shade of red. Even as her feet carried her up the sloping floor, Nerr was considering what could lie behind those reddish doors. Surely the same thing as what the others held, perhaps a slightly more painful death.

She could not understand Anankos' game, and it disturbed her more than any of the horrors he had laid out for them thus far. Did he think she, like Azura, so desperately longed for a mother's comforting presence that she would run blindly into danger? Or did he  _ know _ that she would instinctively distrust this vision, and put the correct way forward in it's mouth to ensure that she would run into her demise? Maybe some part of a person  _ did _ remain after Anankos took control of their shell, maybe that  _ was _ her mother and she  _ was _ trying to help... Maybe that  _ was _ her mother, and she was trying to keep her from leaving, just like she had done before. Nerr stopped several feet from the doors. They all looked exactly the same, right down to the pattern of rust on their handles. There was no sign that any of them had been opened recently, and yet there was no other way out of the chamber. 

“Where do I go...?” She asked herself, eyes darting back and forth and back and forth until they hurt. “ _ Which way do I fucking go?” _ As she questioned herself, another voice bled into the one in her mind. Nerr whipped around, fully expecting that  _ thing _ to be back, but there was nothing behind her but the empty room. Frowning, she held her breath, wishing she could hold her pulse as well. The voice was still quiet enough to convince her that it wasn't there, but if she crept closer to the doors, it grew louder. Leaning towards each in time, she scowled, finally releasing the air that burned in her lungs. That voice was not a construct of her mind- she would never think in Azura's voice. And lo and behold, it was coming from the blue door. 

Nerr slid the Yato through the handle, having to jiggle it to open the latch. If there was any magical current running through the steel waiting to incapacitate her, it didn't pass through her sword. The hall laid out before her was darker, but still relatively clean. It almost looked like a real castle that had been abandoned centuries ago, rather than a nightmare. The soft voice bouncing off the walls added to that feeling, making the walk through the halls almost comforting in its familiarity. There were no braziers, but Elise's flames did not need fuel to burn. The warm glow it cast on them was so similar to that of the massive fireplace in the Citadel's kitchens that, for one painfully short moment, she could close her eyes and see the hanging pots and pans, could hear the rats scurrying across the floors and Flora telling her to move her legs before she tripped them. 

“Nerr!” And as soon as she opened her eyes, it was gone and she back inside the cold, dark mass grave of Gyges. She quickened her pace, but she was not fast enough to keep Elise from running into her. “You're okay!” Gunther all but snatched her from her sister's embrace, taking in the dried blood crusting her lips and nose with abject horror. 

“What happened to you?!” 

“I fell and knocked out a few teeth; you're acting like I lost an arm.” Leo frowned, not because of her sorry attempt at a joke, surely. 

“You fell where?”

“In that first hall. Surely you noticed that I wasn't with you after you reached that big, bright chamber?” They all exchanged confused looks. 

“What chamber?” 

“The one you passed through to get here?” Kaze shook his head slowly. 

“There were no 'chambers', milady. We simply kept running straight. Eventually, those things began melting of their own accord. They must have been too far from their source of power.” Nerr gaped at them. 

“So...  _ I'm _ the only one who saw any of that?” Xander approached, tilting her helm up with a finger. She winced as his gauntlet brushed against a particularly tender spot. 

“It seems that you hit your head. It's not uncommon for people to be confused and see things that aren't there after such an injury.” She wanted to slap his hand away, to tell him that she wasn't crazy and didn't hallucinate anything, but then again, what else could that ghostly creature have been? Arete, even Jakob- or what was left of him- were solid. There was  _ proof _ that they existed. Even  _ she _ had likened the figure of Mikoto to an illusion. She swallowed and nodded, pain shooting through her temples like a long nail. 

“Maybe you're right...” Azura took a few tentative steps forward. 

“Are you sure you're okay, Nerr? You look very pale...” Nerr nodded slightly. 

“I'm fine. Either I'm going mad, or there are far more traps here than we've realized and we need to be wary.” 

“I don't see why it can't be both.” Shura said with an obviously fake laugh. Despite the flames, the air remained cold as they made their way further down the corridor. Gunther held her arm, forcing her to walk slower as she tried to follow the others. 

“What?” She could see his pupils darting over every inch of her face, taking in things she wouldn't have been able to see if she looked in a mirror. What lies was he looking for now? 

“Are you sure you're alright? A bump on the head wouldn't make you see rooms that aren't there, but the Nerr I know wouldn't stand there and let someone call her a liar...” For the span of a heartbeat, the vision of Mikoto was on her lips, but a voice that was not her own filled her ears, ' _ But what's more likely; that some creature had you at its mercy and did nothing to harm you, or that you mayhaps had a nightmare...?' _ The words twisted themselves on her tongue. 

“I might have fallen harder than I thought. I mean, look at me- I won't be smiling for portraits any time soon.” She bared her teeth for him, those which remained. The air felt like knives in her mouth. He smiled for a moment. 

    "I still think you have a lovely smile, Nerr." The searching stopped, and the older man straightened, his expression now solely one of concern. “Should I tell the others to wait for a while longer? Or carry you? You've already tripped once, the last thing we need is for you to collapse next time.” 

“No,” She couldn't raise her voice above a whisper. “I'm fine. Battles won't stop just because I get hurt, isn't that what you used to tell me?” He rubbed at the red stains on her chin with his thumb. 

“I told you a lot of things when I thought you were going to stay in the Citadel indefinitely. You were safe, and everything was better, and I let you think you could be a hero, just like Jakob... and look where that got him.” His voice tightened as he traced the line of her jaw towards where the skin on the back of her neck had thickened from the burns of those flames in the chasm. Nerr's stomach dipped, and she ineffectively tried to brush his hand away. 

“That's not your fault--” 

“Of course it is. I let you come here, so everything that happens is my fault. Everything that happens to  _ you _ is my fault.” 

“Nothing will happen--” 

“Everything has already happened! You could have died, and no one would have noticed anything. Even now, no one realizes that you aren't with them. No one believes you, Nerr. They all think you're crazy!” 

“ _ What?” _ She could not keep her voice from cracking, recoiling from his touch. Gunther frowned, obviously confused by her behavior. 

“I said, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you, Nerr.” She shook her head weakly, hand trembling as she held the Yato closer to her chest. 

“No... no, that's not what you... you said-- I heard-- Oh, gods...” She blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. “I'm sorry. I must have... misheard...” She did not wait for his response, hoping that he would follow her as she half ran to catch up with the others.  _ 'They're right. I  _ **_am_ ** _ crazy...' _ The others, thankfully, had not gone far. The hall turned and lead to a wider room that held nothing but two doors, the long faded paint little more than an impression of red and blue. Azura noticed her first. 

“Where were you?” 

“Nauseous.” Nerr managed to mumble in lieu of an answer. It wasn't a lie- even now, she could feel her stomach churn. The sight of those doors left her mouth somehow dry and overrunning with coppery saliva. Kaze, who had been running the blade of his vambrace through the gap between both doors and their frames, took a step back. 

“Neither door has any physical trap attached to it, at least not any that I would be familiar with.” 

“Regardless of which door we take, we'll be able to backtrack if we find ourselves at a dead end.” Xander's hand had already moved towards the handle of the red door by the time Nerr realized what he was doing. She nearly ran Camilla over, pushing through the bodies. She reached out with her useless arm, surprising herself as much as Xander when the flesh stretched and tore, forming a vague facsimile of a claw that slammed the door shut before he could open it more than a few centimeters. 

“No! Not that door!” 

“Nerr, what are you talking about?” 

“That door is a trap. We have to use the blue one.” She didn't even know why she was taking that thing's word as gospel. Even if it  _ hadn't _ been a figment of her imagination, who was to say if it said what she had heard? And yet, the sight of her brother's hand inching that door open had filled her with a bone-deep sense of dread. Takumi frowned, walking over and laying his own hand flat on the wood. 

“I don't feel anything. How do you know it's a trap?”  _ 'No one believes you, Nerr… They all think you're crazy...!' _ It didn't matter who said it, it was the truth and talking about ghosts would only make things worse. So Nerr pushed her younger brother back with her malformed arm, though not ungently. 

“I'm a dragon. I can sense things that you can't.” His shoulders slumped a bit. 

“I... guess that makes sense. Alright, blue door it is.” She still held her breath as he pulled on the twisted iron, the hinges screaming after so many years of disuse. Even when the door was fully open, nothing happened. She sighed, peering around the frame before stepping through. The room was much like the one she had encountered the vision of Mikoto in, only darker, with more pillars and false walls giving it a claustrophobic feel. One of her sisters touched her shoulder as they passed into the room, but it was neither of their voices tickling her ear. 

“Good choice... W-well... done...” Whirling around, she nearly smacked Sakura with the flat of her sword. The younger princess was standing behind her, staring at the wall. 

“There are two doors... why do both doors lead this way?” Camilla looked over her shoulder for a moment, her brows furrowing. 

“That  _ is _ strange. There's not even a dividing wall between them.” She sighed, flipping her hair back. “I've given up trying to make sense of this backwards mess...” Takumi shushed her harshly, but before the older woman could protest, he'd summoned the glowing thong of his Fuujin, pinching it between three fingers. 

“Shut up. I heard something.” That was all it took for everyone to raise their guards and weapons. 

“Monsters?” Ryouma breathed, fervently scanning the seemingly empty chamber. 

“I don't know. I just heard something when we came in here, and it definitely wasn't us.” 

    “We need to scout ahead, then.” 

“I'll go.” Kaze had already slipped past them, his informing them almost an afterthought. Nerr tried to listen for his footsteps, but he was unnaturally silent, just like Shura could be when he wanted to. All she could hear were the others breathing and their clothes rustling and the creak of their armor and a barely there whisper, “Make your way to the next set of doors...” Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to calm the storm inside her by breathing deeply. Every mouthful of air she swallowed made her stomach hurt, but the damp, musty smell of the room would only make her sicker. 

“N-nee-sama?” She shut her eyes tighter. 

“What is it, Sakura?” 

“Do-- do you want me to h-heal you? I can't, um, fix your t-teeth, but... y-you look like you're in pain.” 

“I'm fine, Sakura. Thank you.” It felt like an eternity had passed by the time Kaze finally returned. With her eyes closed, the room felt like it was shifting under her. She could almost imagine the muscles of some massive limb beneath the stone twitching. 

“Well? Did you see anything?” Xander asked the shinobi. 

“Yes.” 

“And?” 

“I'm not sure.” Nerr opened her eyes, the dim room too bright after the darkness behind her lids. 

“Not sure about what? How many are there?” 

“Only one, milady. It was standing in a corner.” 

“Lookout.” Shura spat, only for the other man to shake his head. 

“No. It was facing the corner. I did not want to get too close, lest I alert it, but in truth, I don't think I could have. I gave it a wide berth and passed by. It didn't seem to be aware of its surroundings, much less me.” 

“So all we have to do to get by unscathed is be as silent as a ninja.” She could feel the disdain in Gunther's voice. “If there was only one, why wouldn't you just slit its throat and be done with it?” 

“Because it was a person, Sir. Were it one of the beasts that hunt us, I would have dispatched it at once, but I--” He faltered, only for a second, but it was long enough to notice. “I cannot in good conscience murder an innocent person just because they're standing in the wrong place.” Nerr's mind was at once filled with images of a terrified child cowering in a corner, praying that if they couldn't see the monsters, the monsters couldn't see them.

“I think we're capable of being quiet. As long as they don't bother us, we'll leave them be.” The others nodded, or at least kept their disapproval to themselves. 

“When has that ever worked the way you thought it would?” Gunther whispered behind her. 

“I don't want to hurt innocent people.” She hissed back, even as her fingers tightened around the Yato's grip.  _ 'When did anything work the way you thought it would...?' _

The flames that preempted their party threw long, wavering shadows over the walls, giving the illusion of figures looming in the darkness. But the only things in those shadows were bones. Human bones, but clean, and most certainly not kept alive with just enough flesh to cover them. The greenery that accompanied the dead throughout Valla was conspicuously absent here. The bones were surrounded by fungus, thick patches of tiny white mushrooms that shone slightly, thin web-like fibers stretching across the cracked stone. They didn't glow like the ones in the caves. They just grew there, a nest of former flesh for little bones, in corners where children might hide. 

The thing Kaze had spoken of was not a child, though it was small. There was no muscle or fat between the bones and skin. It faced the wall, the back only discernible from the front by the flat, bony buttocks that were barely visible beneath the lumpy growths. She could see no ears beneath the similar growths covering it's skull. It did not take notice of them passing it by, fully engrossed in the section of wall it stared at it. Whether or not it could see was anyone's guess. Still, they dared not speak until they had reached the other side of the chamber, looking over their shoulders all the while. They weren't followed. It was as if there were no one but them in that room. 

Just as in the previous chamber, there were two doors, side by side, splintery gouges dug into the paint of both. They did not hesitate this time, Hinoka's hand immediately going for the blue handle. It took a few good jerks before it scraped open, but otherwise, there was nothing uneventful about opening a door. 

“They both lead to the same room again...” Leo mused peeking around the frame. 

“Listen carefully, my child...” The hairs on the back of Nerr's neck stood on end as she searched the room for any sign of white robes. Everything flashed silver as something collided with her back, and it was only by luck that she didn't strike Takumi with her blade. The younger prince didn't even notice how close to that finely honed edge he had come, his bowstring drawn as he too looked around frantically. 

“I know what I heard that time. That was a person. There's someone in here!” 

“There's no one in here.” She whispered sharply, hoping no one else would hear her, but Takumi did not take as much care with his words. He rounded on her, face sickly in the pale light of his bow. 

“You heard it, too. Didn't you? What did it say?!” Ryouma leaned down to their level, a severe frown on his face. 

“What are you two yelling about? Be quiet!” He hissed in a way that sounded very fatherly. Nerr pushed him away. 

“I'm not yelling about anything. Gag that fool before he gets us all killed!” She pointed as best she could with sword in hand to Takumi, who had forgotten his siblings' presence, still staring into the shadows with wide, fearful eyes. 

“Where is it? I know I heard it!” Before anyone could shut him up, his voice rang throughout the room, and was met with a response, though certainly not one that he had been trying for. 

“I hear you! I  _ smell _ you!” The sounds of flesh slapping against stone in awkward, disjointed patterns filled the room. Someone cried out behind her, but before she could see who or what it was, Gunther had slammed the door shut, something dark dripping from the end of his lance as he wrenched it back. The slapping did not stop as a man (maybe it was a man, or maybe that shape between its legs was just another of this thick, fleshy tendrils that covered it's hip) stumbled towards them.  _ “I smell you!! _ ” 

The voice was thick and wet, as if he were choking on his own saliva, but that did not stop him from lunging at the nearest body, Shura's, like a feral dog. The Kougan man shoved him back, but stumbling barely slowed him down. An arrow to the thigh dropped the emaciated figure to his knees long enough for Ryouma to swing his sword. The stench of burnt meat filled the air as the misshapen lump that was their would-be attacker's head hit the ground, his body flopping over limply. The footsteps had gone quiet, but the voices continued. 

“--outsider--” 

“--Anankos--” 

“--flesh--” Sakura still held her bow aloft, fingers still poised as they had been when she loosed her arrow, but they shook uncontrollably. 

“I-I-I can't... I can't d-do that again...” She whispered to herself. Xander lowered her bow gently. 

“There is no need, Princess Sakura. You stay her with Elise. I will go and--” 

“No.” 

Nerr tried to hear her brother over the voice pressing against her eardrums, but he had gone silent. 

“What was that?” Hinoka whispered fearfully. 

“You heard it that time, didn't you?!” Xander's jaw slackened as he joined Takumi in scanning the immediate area. The whites of his eyes reminded Nerr of a panicked horse. 

“Who are you? Show yourself!” The stone under Nerr's feet warmed, and as she tried to hop away, she noticed the water bubbling up through the cracks. It pulsed with light, like the moss in the caves, and stank. Footprints, coated in the same bioluminescence, stamped out a ghostly trail between the others, who collided with one another in their haste to escape this freakish apparition. 

“You must n-not... rush ahead... they'll spot you... they'll k-kill you...” 

“I-I-I know that voice...” Sakura covered her ears and shut her eyes tightly, the tears that squeezed their way out dripping off her chin. “No... no no no nonono...” 

“Mother? Mother, is that you?” Takumi grabbed at the air where the footprints stopped, but there was nothing there. “Where are you? I can't see you!” The Nohrian princess sheathed her sword, but before she could do anything, Azura had already pulled Takumi back, slapping him hard enough for his cheek to turn pink. 

“Shut up, Takumi; you're going to get us all killed! That voice is not your mother- you mother is  _ dead!” _ He opened his mouth- for what, to try and argue- but was cut short by Ryouma's panicked tone. 

“Sakura? Sakura, where are you?!” There was no sign of the young princess anywhere in the immediate vicinity, only more footprints that lead around one of the many false walls. Nerr's stomach plummeted as she remembered chasing a ghostly figure and nearly running off the edge of one of Valla's islands as a result. 

“Sakura... Sakura...!” She could not yell, her throat too tight as she pushed past her brothers and sisters. They wove between pillars and went so far into the darkness that they were barely more than an afterglow. How could such a little girl move so quickly, so quietly? Why couldn't she be loud, like Elise? Why hadn't she told them about what she'd seen, warned them? How could she have been stupid,  _ stupid! _ , enough to think that Anankos would only target her with such a thing? ' _ You stupid, arrogant bitch...!' _ Nerr froze as she rounded a corner, digging her heels in to keep Leo or Xander from knocking her forward as they ran into her. 

“Oh, gods...” 

“There are so many of them...” There were well over a dozen, at least. Ragged, stick-thin husks of people gathered in room. Nerr's first thought was the memory of the fete, the first time she had seen so many people, hundreds of bodies crushed together for the honor of being in the royal family's presence. But there was no music here, no cacophony of nobles talking about nothing. Only dead silence hung in the air here, broken by the occasional raspy gasp. They did not speak, they did not move, bodies locked in painful contortions, their extremities as overtaken by growths as their faces. The footprints shone on the floor, weaving between them. Hands grabbed her, tugging her back by her cape as she moved to follow them. 

“Nerr, no! It's too dangerous.” 

“Let go of me!” She slapped them all away, picking her cloak up lest someone step on it. Camilla had taught her to never let the train of her dress drag on the floor- a single misstep was the quickest way to a snapped ankle. This time, at least, she was not hobbling about in too-tall shoes that pinched her toes. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, stepping exactly where the marks on the stone told her to. Even spaced out as they were, twisting and ducking between the bodies was harder than anything she'd done in Krakenburg. The fat, drunken lords and their overly perfumed wives and mistresses hadn't been coated in thick, white fuzz that gave off little puffs of spores every time they shuddered out a breath. 

“Sa--!” She bit her lip to keep her mouth shut as she finally spotted the younger girl's skirt. She practically had to lower herself to the ground and slither between the last few husks, the stench of unwashed bodies and waste and rot even worse further down. Her lips remained tightly sealed as she reached out and grabbed her sister, slapping her gauntlet none too gently across her mouth before she could go any further. “What the fuck are you doing?!” She hissed. 

“Mother said--” Nerr pressed her palm harder against Sakura's lips. 

“Mother didn't say  _ anything.” _ The disembodied voice was still walking, it's feet still leaving marks on the stone as it headed towards the waiting pair of doors. The young girl tried to follow, but Nerr jerked her back. “Stay here.” She did not trust her sister enough to release her grip on her, turning her head and feeling her breath catch in her throat as she watched the others try to follow her path through the bodies. 

The clanking of their armor and the shuffle of their boots was deafening to her. That those still-breathing corpses barely stirred left her heart pounding in her ears. Elise's steps faltered, growing shorter and shorter as she crouched lower and lower, freezing in a huddle on the ground. The pushes and nudges of her siblings did nothing to move her, until Shura crept back to half-drag her through the forest of splayed legs around them. Whimpering, she curled into a tight ball as soon as she was pulled free from the creatures. 

“Noooo... no, I don't want to do that again...” Ryouma stepped over her, grabbing his youngest sister's shoulder and giving her a hard shake. 

“What were you thinking, Sakura?” He hissed at her, shooting a furtive glance at the throng of husks. 

“M-mother-- I heard her... she said--” 

“Mother is dead, Sakura. You know that. You  _ saw _ her.” 

“But--” 

“Don't you... see me? Ryouma...” The Hoshidan prince froze, one hand still gripping his sister's shoulder as the other inched towards his sword. The footprints moved, the air around them flashing like glass catching the light. Hoshido's late empress would appear and vanish just as quickly. “I d-don't... have much time... A-Anankos... You must... l-listen to me, children... The door... the red d-door...” Gritting what remained of her teeth, Nerr swung at the air, biting back a scream of frustration when her fist passed through the ghostly figure. 

“Shut up! You're not real!” 

“Leave her alone!” Sakura tried to yell, but was quickly silenced by Ryouma. 

“She doesn't look like those monsters... maybe it really is her... maybe it's her spirit...!” Hinoka gave a tremulous whisper as Nerr stared at her, aghast. How could they think that for even a second? Even Ryouma was beginning to let his hand drop from his sword. For a single moment, she wondered if they were right. After all, they would know their mother, wouldn't they? She had distrusted the woman from the beginning...  _ 'And for good reason...' _ She reminded herself as she noticed Takumi from the corner of her eye. 

“Takumi! Don't you dare touch that door!” He looked back at her, his hand still inching towards the handle of the faded red panel. 

“But Mother said--” 

“Are you trusting something you know isn't real over  _ me?” _ His eyes darted away from her for a moment, shining brightly in the faint light. She looked in the direction he was staring, but saw nothing, heard nothing. He did, however. 

The resolution in his face was clear through his misty eyes as he grabbed the handle and pulled. Only by virtue of the hinges being caked in rust did Nerr reach it before it opened more than a few inches, just enough for her to hear the whistling on the other side. She slammed her back against the door, dozens, possibly a hundred dull 'thwacks' filling her ears as the wood splintered, the barest tips of some of the arrows piercing the door just enough to scrape against her armor. The young prince stared at her, wide-eyed in terror. 

“N-nee-san...” 

“I'm gonna fucking eat you, Takumi--” Even though her lips were moving, she could barely hear herself over her pounding heart and the soul-deep whine that emanated from the spot where the footprints were spreading into a larger and larger puddle. 

“Whyyyyyy...?” The glowing liquid rose, as if someone were sucking it up through leg-shaped hoses. Before it could form more than shins, Camilla swung her ax low, the strange water freezing before the thick blade even touched it, breaking it into thick chunks. Nerr tugged the blue door open, just as her elder sister grabbed Takumi by the scruff and forced him inside. 

“Get in.” 

“But--” Sakura's weak protest was cut short by a bone-chilling shriek. Dozens of heads snapped in their direction as a whole. Their distended and bowed legs didn't do much to slow them down, but the group was close enough to the door to run inside before any bony fingers could reach them. Xander held the door shut from the inside as Leo frantically cast spells, breaking the stone floor to raise thick vines that twisted together into an additional door. The wood still shuddered as bodies were flung against it. 

“What should we do? Should we try and fight them?” Azura gasped out. Leo shook his head. 

    “They might tear down that door, but they won't get through any barrier _I_ create.” Despite his cocksure words, he nearly tripped over himself as thick splinters bounced off the twisted roots. A silvery tendril snaked between them, coalescing into a thin arm.

“They're my ch-children... you can't t-take them from me!” The water danced, like it did when Azura sang, but there was nothing beautiful in the thick drops melting together and forming an awfully familiar visage. “Nerrida--” She did not let it finish, drawing the Yato faster than she had even pulled out a sword and bringing it down through the creature's skull. It didn't rupture and burst like it was supposed to. Each half just remained as it was, looking up at her with empty black voids that poured forth torrents of filthy water. “We can all b-be together... We can be a f-family...” 

“Just die, you horrible thing!! Why won't you die?! Why won't you stay dead!?” In defiance of her demands to perish, the twisted figure grew, sprouting more arms with their long, thin hands grabbing at the air. Other hands clawed at the gaps in the door, solid, discolored flesh with broken nails that seemed impervious to the splinters beneath them. 

“Are we to be... s-s-separated... again, Nerrida...?” 

        "LEAVE ME BE!!" She couldn't hack at the thing fast enough, every chunk taken out immediately replaced. 

“Nerr, this way! There's another door!” Azura's voice fell on deaf ears as the Nohrian princess drove her sword into those vacuous caverns that used to be eyes. She could see Mikoto looking down at her with that wretched, miserable, disappointed look in her eyes even now. She thrust harder.

“Die, you monster! This is  _ your _ fault! All of this is because of  _ you!!” _

“That's enough, princess; you can kill that thing later. We gotta go!” She struggled against the arms that wrapped around her middle, trying to kick at the shins to make that horrid pirate release her, but his grip stayed firm. 

“No...! Come b-back! Bring her back! I need to h-hold her! Bring her b-b-back!!” That creature's wails blended with Nerr's roar of fury as it vanished from her sight, a thick, iron-bound door slamming between them. Sinking her teeth deep into Shura's arm finally prompted him to drop her with a curse, and she began running towards the door the moment her feet hit the ground, but it was stuck fast. She paused for a moment in her desperate tugging to see a hand above her head, her glare following the arm it belonged to until she locked eyes with her knight. 

_ "Move! _ ” 

“You need to calm down, Nerr.” His calm voice only infuriated her further. 

“You need to get the hell out of my way way before  _ I _ move you!” 

“Sister, what is wrong with you?” Ryouma's voice was laced with equal parts confusion and fear. “You're acting like a woman possessed.” 

“No, I'm not! That  _ thing _ isn't going to stop just because we shut a door in it's face. It almost turned your brother into a gods' damned pincushion, and you just stood there like a gormless idiot. Thank you, by the way, for helping me kill it!” The young emperor at least had the decency to look ashamed of himself, him and Takumi both, but the younger boy would not demure so easily. 

“It's not my fault. That... she's my  _ mother _ ...” 

“No, it's not!” 

“Yes, she is!” His voice cracked as he screamed at her. “You know she is! She spoke to you too, and you listened!  _ That's _ how you knew not to pick the red doors, she told you!” His face crumpled as he began weeping softly. “Why only you? Why would she lie to  _ me _ and not you? She said she loved me too, even then...” 

“Stop your fucking sniveling, Takumi. That miserable whore lied to me, too.” 

“Stop it!” Sakura joined her brother's tearful whining, covering her face. “Stop saying such horrible things about my m-mother!” Ryouma stroked her tangled hair warmly, his eyes cold as he regarded Nerr. 

“That's enough, sister. Clearly, you're upset—” 

“It's not enough,” She snarled. “It's not  _ nearly _ enough. You're all liars, just like that rancid bitch! You would tear me away from my family and lie to my face. She never would have told me the truth;  _ none _ of you would have!” 

“What truth? What are you talking about, Nerrida?” Hinoka's confusion sounded sincere, and that only enraged her further. 

“What truth? What--? What the hell do you think I am, you fools? Do you think it's just a coincidence that I'm a manakete? That, through some divine miracle, the emperor of Hoshido sired a fucking dragon? It's not strange to any of you that, of the three dragons you know still exist in this part of the world, one of them is Anankos, one of them is his daughter, and one is just some random princess?” 

“Nerr... what are you saying? You think... Do you think that Anankos sired you?” Xander's voice was a distant echo over the thrum of her blood rushing through her ears. Her skull felt like it was going to burst. She almost laughed.

“I don't have to think. The gods themselves told me. You're no fool. You know it's true.” They did. That tiny half step they took away from her the moment she started to lay it out for her was all they proof she needed that they believed her.

000000000000

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- So... things changed, here. I just... I really can't understand how the monsters that fight you in the shape of the royal parents melt when they're defeated, then... reform but not possessed? And then melt away for good? By all means, it doesn't make sense. I don't think we've seen the last of Mikoto, any more than we've seen the last of Arete. This fic follows GoT season 8 rules- if the camera cuts away from someone, they're obviously not dead.


End file.
